The Subjects
The subjects that were assigned for the trials of the Prix de Rome
Contest in painting were taken from the Bible, Greek and Roman mythology,
history and, during the 20th Century, allegorical themes. Several subjects were
repeated during the history of the contest, often after a lapse of several
years. Erasistratus Discovering the Cause of Antiochus' Disease,
for example, was assigned during the third trial first in 1774, then again in
1808. The passage of time and evolution of artistic styles can be clearly seen
in these two paintings.
Subject treatment varied from one artist to the other, as they were not allowed
to see the others' works in progress. Three paintings won the Grand Prix de
Rome in History Painting in 1797, providing an opportunity to compare the same
subject as pictured by three different artists. The three versions of The
Death of Cato of Utica show remarkably different ways of portraying the
same scene. Another opportunity to compare different artists' interpretations
of the same subject arises while viewing the two versions of Zenobia
Discovered by Shepherds on the Banks of the Araxes of 1850.
Although not depicting the same subject, these three paintings by Comerre
(1875), Doucet (1880), and Gibert (1898) all feature a central winged figure, which evolves from a voluptuous floating vision to an ethereal
statue.
Index of Biblical Subjects
Index of Mythological Subjects
Index of Historical Subjects
Index of Allegorical Subjects
