Bashi-Bazouk
Gérôme’s Turkish title for this picture, which translates as "headless," evokes the poorly paid auxiliary soldiers who fought ferociously for plunder under Ottoman leadership. To create it, the artist posed a model in his Paris studio wearing garments and accessories he had acquired abroad.
Shortly after its completion, the present work was acquired by John Taylor Johnston (1820–1893), the first president of the Metropolitan Museum.
Artwork Details
- Title: Bashi-Bazouk
- Artist: Jean-Léon Gérôme (French, Vesoul 1824–1904 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1868–69
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 10 1/4 × 8 1/2 in. (26 × 21.6 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of Kenneth Jay Lane, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.435.1
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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