Lecture 11, History at the Academy & the Salon: Jean-Léon Gérôme’s Ave Caesar! Morituri te salutant

During Jean- Léon Gérôme’s career, history painting continued to be popular, even as it was being undermined by new ideas for subject matter. We look at his frequently reproduced picture of gladiators in an ancient Roman arena in the context of Realism, Impressionism, photography, and movies.