1 Painting, The art of War, Tony Robert-Fleurys The Last Day of Corinth, with footnotes

Tony Robert-Fleury

The Last Day of Corinth, c. before 1870

Oil on canvas

H. 401.0; L. 602.0 cm.

Musée d'Orsay

In 146 BC, the Greek city of Corinth fell to Rome. Robert-Fleury depicts the moment when the Roman army enters the sacked city.

The women of Corinth, fearing the fate reserved for them, took refuge at the foot of the statue of Athena.

The work of the young artist, who took three years to complete his twenty-four square meter painting, was rewarded at the Salon with a medal of honor. The criticism is nevertheless severe with regard to the painting: "We look, we admire, we are not gripped" (C. Lemonnier). More on this painting

Tony Robert-Fleury (1 September 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French painter, known primarily for historical scenes. He was also a prominent art teacher, with many famous artists among his students.

He was born just outside Paris, and studied under his father Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury and under Paul Delaroche and Léon Cogniet at the École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in Paris.

In 1870, he painted a canvas of Le Dernier Jour de Corinthe (Last Day of Corinth), which depicted the last day before the Roman legions looted and burned the ancient Greek city, according to Livy. This painting was purchased by the Musée du Luxembourg, and is now on display at the Musée d'Orsay. In 1880, he painted a ceiling for the Luxembourg Palace in Paris, representing "The Glorification of French Sculpture."

Robert-Fleury painted Pinel a la Salpêtrière (1876), which depicts the famed Father of Modern Psychiatry among the inmates of the asylum. Philippe Pinel had been named chief doctor at the asylum in 1795, and had instituted more charitable and rational treatments.

In 1875, Robert-Fleury painted Charlotte Corday at Caen, which shows the woman coming to the conclusion that Marat needed to be murdered. In 1882, he painted Vauban donnant le plan des fortifications de Belfort where the celebrated engineer is represented in Louis XIV costume reviewing maps and designs, while in the background laborers are building.

Robert-Fleury taught as a professor for many years at the Académie Julian in Paris.

Robert-Fleury became president of the Société des artistes français in succession to Bouguereau. He was honoured with Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1907. In 1908, he was elected president of the Taylor Foundation, a position he held until the end of his life. He acquired a great reputation and is renowned for his historical compositions, portraits and genre scenes; at his atelier he taught several well-known painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries from various countries, including Lovis Corinth, Édouard Vuillard, Louise-Cécile Descamps-Sabouret and Sir George Clausen. More on Tony Robert-Fleury

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