The Work
"He painted the world not as it was, but as we dreamt it."
He was the master of light, marble, and the eternal afternoon. From the massive scale of The Roses of Heliogabalus to the intimate details of a Roman bath, discover the oeuvre of the most successful painter of the 19th century.
A Coign of Vantage
1895 • Oil on canvas
I. Major Masterworks
The paintings that defined an era
From the roses that suffocated an emperor to the spring festival that made the world smile.
- ✦The Roses of HeliogabalusIt looks like a party. It's actually a massacre.
- ✦The Finding of MosesThe $35 million masterpiece that proved the critics wrong.
- ✦The TepidariumHow a Roman nude became the face of a soap empire.
- ✦A Coign of VantageThe cinematic genius of the 'establishing shot' in paint.
- ✦A Reading from HomerThe listening circle that defined Victorian contemplative art.
II. Themes & Techniques
The science behind the magic
He measured ruins with a ruler and painted marble so real you could feel the cold. This is how he did it.
- ✦Women in WhiteCorsets vs. Togas: The hidden rebellion of the uncorseted body.
- ✦The Age of ExcavationHow archaeology revolutionized his painting style.
- ✦Pompeii: The SoulMeasuring the buried city that became his primary muse.
- ✦The British MuseumHis second studio where every vase was studied.
- ✦The Furniture DesignDesigning the ancient world, from benches to pianos.
III. Influence & Legacy
From forgotten outcast to Hollywood blueprint
They laughed at him in 1920. But in Hollywood, Cecil B. DeMille was using his paintings as storyboards.
IV. Collections & Museums
Where to find the sanctuary today
A pilgrimage guide to the museums and private collections that hold his greatest works.
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A Reading from Homer
1885 • Oil on canvas