Antoine-Jean Gros

Born into an artistic family in Paris, Gros began drawing at age six under his father, a miniature painter. His precocious talent led him to David's studio at the young age of 14.¹

In late 1785, Gros entered the studio of Jacques-Louis David. While training under the Neoclassical master, he began developing a dramatic style that would later influence Romanticism.¹

Gros met Josephine in Italy, who introduced him to Napoleon. His 1796 portrait of Napoleon at Arcole brought him fame and secured his position as a favored artist of the future Emperor.¹

Appointed as an inspector of reviews, Gros followed Napoleon's army and witnessed battles firsthand. In 1797, he was tasked with selecting art spoils from Italy for the Louvre.¹

His 1804 masterpiece 'Napoleon Visiting the Plague-Stricken in Jaffa' was commissioned as propaganda to counter British reports of Napoleon's cruelty, depicting him as a compassionate leader.¹

Even after Napoleon's fall, Gros remained prominent and was titled Baron in 1824 by Charles X. He became a professor at the Académie, leading the French school in David's absence.¹

In his later years, Gros struggled with the burden of upholding David's Neoclassical traditions while resenting the rise of Romanticism, feeling increasingly alienated from modern tastes.¹

Despondent over the harsh criticism of his work 'Hercules and Diomedes' at the 1835 Salon, Gros committed suicide by drowning in the Seine, a tragic end to a career caught between eras.¹