The Resume

(May 17, 1824-January 10, 1904)
Born in Vesoul, France
Academic painter and sculptor
Frequent subjects included historic events, Greco-Roman mythology, and Orientalism
Notable paintings include 'The Cock Fight' (1846), 'Michelangelo in His Studio' (1849), 'The Age of Augustus, the Birth of Christ' (1854), 'Recreation in a Russian Camp' (1855), 'Ave Caesar! Morituri te Salutant' (1859), 'The Slave Market' (1866), 'Pollice Verso' (1872), 'L'Eminence Grise' (1873), and 'Truth Coming Out of Her Well' (1896)
Sculptures include 'The Gladiators' (1878), 'Hoop Dancer' (1890), 'Tangara' (1890) and 'Dancer with Three Masks' (1902)

Why he might be annoying:

He was rejected for the Prix de Rome scholarship when his figure drawing was judged inadequate.
According to one of his pupils at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, he made students engage in initiation rituals that included nude fencing matches, armed with loaded paintbrushes.
He tried to stop the French government from accepting the donation of Impressionist paintings that became the foundation of the Musee d'Orsay collections (1894).
His reputation declined sharply during the first half of the 20th Century, so his 'The Snake Charmer,' which had sold for $19,500 in 1888, was resold for only $500 in 1942.
His 'The Slave Market' was used in a series of anti-Muslim campaign ads by the right-wing political party Alternative for Germany (2019), much to the consternation of the museum who owned the original painting.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was named an officer of the Legion of Honor (1867).
His paintings were so widely reproduced that during the 1880s he was described as 'arguably the world's most famous living artist.'
His paintings such as 'Ave Caesar!' and 'Pollice Verso' greatly influenced how ancient Rome was depicted in movies, from the silent era to 'Gladiator.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 19th Century Painters
• 20th Century Painters
• Breeders [Have 5 or More Kids] (Ranked: 5)
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 84]
• I am a Citizen of France
• I Died in 1904 (Ranked: 79)
• I'm Buried at Montmartre Cemetery in Paris
• Look at me, I'm Busted
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• Painters
• Profiles 53001-53250 (Ranked: 53203)
• Sculptors

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying