VAM galleries including this work:
The Speed Art Museum | Art Through Time || VAM Home

Like many other French artists and writers of the 1800s, painter Jean-Leon Gérôme, famed for his highly realistic depictions of exotic lands, was intrigued with Spain. He visited the country several times and became especially interested in the bullfights and in Spain’s Moorish heritage. This small work shows a section of the famed Alhambra Palace in Granada. One of the most perfectly realized examples of Hispano-Mooresque architecture, it was built in the 1200s. The absence of any figures in this idyllic setting gives it a still, timeless quality. The viewer is left to contemplate the beauty and intent of the architecture of the place itself.

Although the city of Granada dates from pre-Islamic times, it was the last Muslim dynasty of Andalusia that made Granada its capital and royal city in the 13th century. When the Alhambra’s outer walls were completed, water was brought by aqueduct from the mountain above, and a citadel was established on the westernmost part of the ridge. A mosque, baths, and houses were built and splendid gardens planted.

The Christian conquest of Granada by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella resulted in the destruction of most of the Alhambra except two large courts set at right angles to each other. Each has a central water feature: a reflective pool in the Court of Myrtles and a fountain in the Court of Lions. A series of rooms and halls open into the courts, either directly or through arcades.

Throughout the Alhambra, open and covered spaces are combined and contrasted in a system where interiors are adjacent to exterior spaces, with pavilions projecting into open areas. Stalactite-like architectural details project down and create a positive/negative effect with open spaces, depending on the time of day and the lighting.

About the Artist

Jean-Leon Gérôme was born in Vesoul, France, the son of a goldsmith. He is best known as a painter and as a significant academic artist of 19th-century France. Among his pupils at the École des Beaux-Arts were Odilon Redon and the American artists Thomas Eakins and J. Alden Weir. As a successful artist, teacher, and member of the Parisian art world, Gérôme wielded considerable influence. Hostile to the Impressionists, he used that influence in 1893 in urging the French government to refuse a bequest of 65 Impressionist works.

Gérôme’s historical and mythological paintings were anecdotal and often overly dramatic. He was fascinated with technical virtuosity and, not surprisingly, was a good draftsman in the manner of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. After a trip to Egypt in 1856, an exotic influence appeared in his works, and In the Alhambra reflects this fascination.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: What style do you think this painting is? What type of architecture is shown? Does this painting have a calming effect? Why or why not? What role do light and shadow play in the painting? What time of day would you guess is depicted? Can you find pattern or rhythm in the painting? What is its focal point?

Activities: View other works by Jean-Leon Gérôme. What characteristics do you see in common? Look at photos of the Alhambra. How do they compare to his painting? Choose a building in your community or on your school campus and take photos of it at different times of the day. Create paintings showing the building in these different lights.

Writing Prompt:

Grade Level: High School
Prompt: Imagine that you have commissioned this painter, Jean-Leon Gérôme, to do a painting from one of the photographs you took on your recent vacation. He has chosen this one from a palace that you visited. When you see the painting, you remember being in the palace. Describe your day there, including sensory details and people you encountered.

Links

See photos of the Alhambra at Great Buildings Online.
[www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/The_Alhambra.html]

You’ll find extensive links to Gérôme works online in the Artcyclopedia.
[www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/gerome_jean-leon.html]