Plaudite Cives (Applaud Citizens!)

Description This work was exhibited at the salon of 1898 and apparently only issued in one size, this being quite rare. The plaque in Latin at the gladiator's feet reads "Plaudite Cives," meaning "Applaud citizens!." The man who has killed the lion looks to us, the audience, for recognition of his bravery, but also bows, like a stage entertainer after a show.

Provenance Edward T. Wilson, Fund for Fine Arts, Inc., Chevy Chase, Maryland [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1997, by purchase.

Inscriptions [Inscription] Illegible; [Transcription] FOUNDRY PARIS 5570 J.L. GEROME PLAUDITE CIVES

Credit Museum purchase, 1997