Theodore Gericault: The Hotel de Longueville and the Galeries du Louvre, 1792-1808

Abstract

My thesis examines the early life of Theodore Gericault from 1792 to 1808. We know very little about Gericault's childhood and family relationships in Paris. I focus on the spaces in Paris Gericault shared with others during his youth, especially those around the Hotel de Longueville, the site of the Robillard tobacco business, and the nearby Galeries du Louvre, the home of the Vernet family. I introduce individuals from the Saint-Domingue Robillard family and examine their patronage of the arts in Paris. Charles Clement and other critics chose to ignore these indviduals. I then make some educated guesses about how these Robillard family members may have affected Gericault and influenced his art.