Antoine-Jean Gros

Antoine-Jean Gros was a French painter born on March 16, 1771, in Paris, and he died on June 26, 1835, in Meudon, France. Gros is renowned for his significant contributions to the Romantic movement, particularly through his dramatic historical paintings that often depicted scenes from the Napoleonic Wars. He studied under Jacques-Louis David, which influenced his early neoclassical style, but he later developed a more emotive and dynamic approach. Gros's works, such as "Bonaparte Visiting the Plague Victims of Jaffa," are noted for their vivid color and intense emotion, marking a departure from the restrained neoclassicism of his mentor. Despite his success, Gros struggled with the changing artistic tastes of his time and the rise of new Romantic artists, which contributed to his tragic death by suicide. His legacy lies in his ability to capture the heroism and pathos of his era, influencing subsequent generations of Romantic painters.