Pool in a Harem and Other Works by Jean-Leon Gerome in the Hermitage

The State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia) presents, until February 5, 2012, the show Pool in a Harem and Other Works by Jean-Leon Gerome.

The painting Pool in a Harem, which arrived to the Hermitage in 1918 from the Anichkov Palace, was found itself in Russia shortly after the exhibition at the Salon in 1876. It was purchased for the collection of the Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, future Emperor Alexander III, who attended studio of Gerome in Paris in 1857 and ordered that painting to the artist. On March 22, 2001, canvas of Pool in a Harem was barbarically cut out from the frame and stolen from the Hermitage.

On January 29, 2007, the painting was returned to the Hermitage. At the end of December, 2006 the unknown called to the reception of the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Gennady Zuganov, and reported that he would like to give the painting Pool in a Harem precisely to the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.

Jean-Leon Gerome (1824-1904) is a French painter and sculptor of salon-academic school, student of Paul Delaroche. He produced paintings on subjects from the history of France and Ancient Greece. He is an eminent representative of 'neo-Greek' style that is based on the heritage of Ingres.


Date: until February 5.
Location: The State Hermitage Museum. 2, Palace Square, 190000. St. Petersburg. Russia.
Opening hours: from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10.30am to 6pm. Sundays from 10.30 to 5pm. 

See some of the works in the following slideshow: