Jerome's Thumbs Down: What is the author's absurd mistake that influenced all subsequent stories with gladiators

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The painting by the French painter Jean-Leon Gerome "Polis verso" ("Thumbs Down") depicts the plot of a gladiatorial spectacle. This painting was the main source of inspiration for the creators of the film Gladiator. After the popularization of the plot, the whole world learned that the signal for the victorious gladiator to kill his opponent was a raised thumb, and the signal for mercy was a clenched fist. Is it true that the artist made a ridiculous mistake that later turned into the film?

Biography

When Jean-Leon Gerome announced his intention to become an artist, he did not meet, as is often the case, his father's indignation or contempt. On the contrary, his decision was received with joy. His parents were even willing to pay for their son's education, and so they sent Jerome to the School of Fine Arts in Paris. In it, a talented young man became a student of the academic painter Paul Delaroche, and then Charles Gleyre.

His career as an artist began at the Salon in 1847, where he stood out among the young masters and quickly achieved success. Subsequently, Jerome became one of the most famous painters of the Second Empire. Possessing extraordinary diligence and diligence, Jerome simultaneously led a social life, creative activity, traveled and taught a lot.

Contrary to the misconception about Jerome, the artist actually had a cheerful disposition, was a pleasant person to talk to, and loved good food. He was a teacher adored by his students, and his class at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris was remembered by many as the happiest time.

The history of the painting

Jérôme's oriental genre scenes and mythological, historical subjects testify to his passion for the East and antiquity. The precision of the drawing, the desire for detail, as well as the authentic rendering of clothing and interiors testify to the artist's technical prowess and his meticulous preparatory research.

Jerome began work on his most famous painting, Thumbs Down, in 1869, but abandoned it temporarily during the Franco-Prussian War. The artist managed to complete the painting only in 1872. In this work, Jérôme examines the amazing power of self-expression, in this case the light movement of the hand, in the context of the Roman gladiatorial arena. By the way, Roman battles became a favorite theme of Jerome after his trip to Rome in 1843.

His earlier depictions of gladiatorial fights were somewhat complicated by the difficulties in achieving historical accuracy (for example, it was difficult to convey reliable nuances in armor, weapons, etc.). But when creating the painting "Thumbs Down" Jerome spent much more time and effort to convey the true historical picture. For an artist, the success of a painting directly depended on small details.

Plot

So. In Jerome's painting, the Spectator sees the end of the battle. The very moment when the victorious gladiator awaits the order of the emperor. He looks up at the crowd and Julius Caesar to get an answer - should he kill his opponent (the thumbs down will be the symbol of this decision), or spare his life (this is indicated by the thumbs up). The title of the painting confirms the decision that viewers can already see: the thumbs are down and the defeated gladiator is about to be brutally killed.

The scene presented is a gladiatorial fight. The fact that there are four gladiators in the arena may indicate that this is a massive battle in which several pairs of gladiators came together. The upper half of the canvas depicts the emperor and the closest people of the court (six rows). The viewer is in the Roman amphitheater, in which two levels of terraces can be distinguished directly in front of the imperial tribune. Thus, Jerome does not represent the Colosseum (since it has three levels of terraces).

Jerome offers the audience not just a picture. This is a very well-documented historical plot with detailed transmission of the types of equipment, clothing, architecture, the layout of the amphitheater (velum, imperial tribune, vomitoria), and, of course, the roles of the heroes.

Heroes

The gladiators in the background are difficult to identify. But the gladiators in the foreground can be clearly recognized by their appearance. These are two Thracians. The main character, a gladiator, has won. With his right foot he stands on the slashed throat of the vanquished. He prostrated at the feet of the victor and is still alive. The defeated one stretches out his hand in a plea for salvation.

The first gladiator is equipped with a short sword, helmet, leather leggings, a potholder that covers his right hand, and a small round shield. The second is a trident. It is important to note that the vanquished is a retiary. This is one of the gladiators, whose equipment consists of a trident, a dagger and a net. He is usually depicted without shoes.

A dark man in the corner of the amphitheater guards the white women. These are Vestals - priestesses who enjoyed important honors (ampissimi honores) in ancient Rome. Vestals are untouchable, and no one can forbid them to go where they please. In the picture, the viewer sees that the women in white are demanding the execution of the unfortunate gladiator. In reality, everything was different. The intervention of the Vestals was almost always merciful.

An interesting symbol adorns the carpet that stretches under the terrace with the vestals sitting there. This is a thistle, the symbolism of which is twofold. The thistle usually symbolizes the suffering of Jesus and the Virgin, which may be related to the suffering of defeated gladiators. Along the way, you can notice the bluish tinge of the retiarius, who, sadly, lets out his last breath. The thistle was also considered a symbol of virtue. Then a certain irony of Jerome slips in the picture in relation to the priestesses, who seem to have lost all virtue, enjoying the spectacles of the amphitheater.

Film "Gladiator"

Polly's Verso is one of the films that inspired Ridley Scott to create his 2000 film Gladiator. Director Scott said in one of his interviews that the idea to create a film, which later became an Oscar winner, came to him in a museum in Phoenix (Arizona, USA), where he saw a picture of Jerome.

What is the artist's mistake?

The Latin expression "Pollice Verso" literally means "thumbs down". Interestingly, this gesture, which is supposed to mean killing a defeated gladiator, is not mentioned in any ancient text. Therefore, many art critics are unanimous in the opinion that when writing this picture, the artist made a mistake, because he incorrectly translated the phrase Pollice Verso. Zherov considered that the phrase means "Finger turned down", while the correct interpretation of the expression "With finger turned", i.e. the thumb should be hidden in the fist. It was with a clenched fist WITHOUT a protruding thumb that the audience of the amphitheater and the emperor bestowed life on the vanquished.

In Latin, a phrase has even survived that can be considered a genuine confirmation: Pollice compresso favor iudicabatur, which translates as "Favor is decided by the hidden thumb." Therefore, the gesture is considered an exclusive invention of the artist himself, partly incorrect. Jérôme was the first to introduce such a gesture, which was then copied from the beginning of the 20th century in all plots with gladiatorial battles.