PRIX DE ROME, pre de rum (Fr., prize of Rome). The Grand. Prix de Rome is a prize given by the French Government to a certain number of painters, sculptors, architects, musi cians, and engravers, who have passed a rigid ex amination in their respective departments of art. The winner of the Prix has four years at the Villa Medici. the AeadUmie de France 3 Rome, and the annual sum of about 4000 francs for his expenses; he is also exempt from military service. The competition for the Prix is open to any Frenchman between the ages of fifteen and thirty, who has fulfilled certain conditions in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (q.v.), or elsewhere. A scheduled length of time is allowed the student in which to make drawings or models of a given subject, for the completed design. and ten pupils from each section are selected to enter the final com petition. They have three months in which to prepare their work. The awards are made every year to painters, sculptors, musicians, and architects; every two years to line engrav ers; and every three years to engravers on fine stones and medalists. The AeadUmie des Beaux-Arts, a section of the French Institute, has charge of the school at Rome, and the 'eon emirs' for the Grand Prix. The director of the Academy at Rome is always a French painter chosen from among the members of the AcaffiThde des Beaux-Arts. A series of 'envois.' or speci
mens of work, are sent each year from Rome to the Salon, to show the pupils' progress. In the case of a musician. the 'envoi' goes to the Con servatory, which possesses autographs of all the prize cantatas since the establishment of the Prix.
The Prix de Rome was founded by Louis 'XIV. in I666. Its purpose was to educate promising young painters and sculptors, at the cost of the State, by study of the antique in Rome. The first director of the school was Charles Errard (q.v.). In 1720 architects were also allowed to compete for the Prix. During the Revolution the school was inactive, hut Napoleon enlarged it, and after 1803 musicians, medalists, line engravers, and engravers of precious stones were added to the list. of `pensionnaires.' At this (late also the school was removed to the Villa Medici. the pres ent site of the Acad6mie de France ft Rome. The artistic value of the Prix de Rome is a disputed question. What was perhaps a necessity iu the time of Louis XIV. is now said to have outgrown its use, but, on the other hand, the list of prize winners in every department during the last cen tury embraces many of the great names of France. Consult Ballard, Fula, Medieis a Rome (Paris, 1847).