GROS, gr6, ANTOINE JEAN (1771-1835). A French historical painter. Ile was born in Paris, March 16, 1771. He shared with Ingres the reputation of being the greatest of David's pupils. Trained in correct drawing by his father, a miniature painter, at the age of fourteen he came under the instruction of David. In 1793 he visited Italy, where he was associated through Josephine with Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him Inspector of Reviews, thus giving him the opportunity to acquire knowledge for the battle scenes lie later executed, and appointed him one of the commissioners to select the works of art. which Napoleon took from Italy. In 1796 Gros painted "Bonaparte at the Bridge of Arcole." His "Plague at Jaffa," exhibited. in 1805 and pur chased by the Government, made him famous. Gros was always disposed to struggle against the romantic tendency which is more or less observable in his art. and endeavored to main tain the principles of the Classic School as prac ticed by David. In 1816 he was made member of the Institute and professor in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and in 1828 officer of the Legion of Honor. For his painting in the cupola of the Pantheon, which represents the four chief dynasties of France offering their deeds as homage to Sainte Genevilive, he received in 1824 the title of Baron. Oros essayed in the last years of his life to return to the purely classic in his works "Hercules and and "Ms and Galatea:" but the result com pared so unfavorably with the examples of the School. then in the ascendency, that the adverse criticism they evoked affected his mind, and he committed suicide in the Seine on June 27. 1835.
Gros's art represents the transition from the classic art of David to that of the Romantic School. He was the first to abandon classic sub jects in favor of historical. To the drawing and' composition of David's school he added excellence of color, depth of feeling, and vigor of action, His "Plague at Jaffa" (1805), now in the Lou vre, is a masterpiece in this regard. It represents Napoleon ministering to his plague-stricken and dying soldiers in an Oriental courtyard. "Na poleon at Eylau" (1808), also in the Louvre, is equally important. In the same vein is "Napoleon Before the Pyramids" (1810). Be sides this picture, the Museum of Versailles con tains other great historical pictures, the best of which is the "Flight of Louis XVIII. from the Tuileries" (1816). "Francis I. and Charles V. at Saint Denis" (1808), in the Louvre, called by the painter his "Bouquet," is the best of his works in color. His portraits, of which the Gal lery of Versailles contains a large number, are of great strength. Among the best are those of Generals Massena, Lasalle, and Fournier-Sarlo vese (Versailles). His works in the classic style are the weakest of his productions. He left a large number of influential pupils.
Consult the biographies of Gros by Delestre (Paris, 1867), Tripier le Franc (ib., 1880), and Dargenty (ib., 1887). See also Chesneau, Les chefs d'ecole (ib., 1883), and Delacroix, in the Revue des Deux Mondes (1848).