Lot 91: *JEAN ALAUX, CALLED LE ROMAIN (1786-1864)

signed and dated lower left J. alaux/ Roma/ 1817. oil on paper, laid down on canvas Upon winning the Grand Prix de Rome artists were awarded with a four or five year sojourn in Rome to study at the Académie de France. They were installed at the Villa Medici (the seat of the Académie since 1801 when it was moved from the Palazzo Mancini) and were required to make studies after the antique and Old Master paintings. These paintings and drawings would eventually be sent back to France. Such was the case with Léon Pallière who won the Grand Prix in 1812 with Ulysse massacrant les prétendants de Pénélope and Jean Alaux in 1815 with Briséis rendu à Achille trouve dans sa tente le corps de Patrocle. Unlike the traditional academic and posed studies, the present painting captures a moment in the life of a pensionnaire at the Villa Medici. Pallière is casually leaning on his bed strumming a guitar. His room is decorated with drawings, sculpture and a few other inspirational items. The drawings are perhaps sketches for paintings the artist was required to execute during his stay in the Eternal City. This subject, life at the Villa Medici, seemed to be a favorite of Alaux's. He painted François-Edouard Picot in his room at the Villa (see Paris, Grand Palais, Paysages d'Italie, Les Peintres du plein air (1780-1830), April 3-July 9, 2001, cat. no 7), however, Picot's room overlooked the city of Rome whereas Pallière had a view of the campagna. Alaux also painted his co-pensionnaire Ingres in his room at the Villa Medici (see London, Hazlitt Gooden and Fox, 19th Century French Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, October 4-November 2, 2001, cat. no. 7).