Where can I see the Hémicycle?

The original mural is at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. A replica painted by Charles Béranger in 1853 is held at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

How large is the Hémicycle mural?

The complete work measures 27 meters (88.5 feet) in length, wrapping around the curved wall of the award theatre. It took Delaroche and four assistants five years to complete.

Who is depicted in the Hémicycle?

The mural shows 75 great artists from different eras, including ancient Greeks, Renaissance masters, and more recent figures. The architects, painters, and sculptors are shown in imaginary conversation.

What technique did Delaroche use?

Unlike traditional fresco, Delaroche painted directly on the wall using oil and wax. This technique, while visually rich, made the work vulnerable to the fire damage it suffered in 1855.

Where Is Hémicycle (section 2)? Museum Location

French artist Paul Delaroche painted this monumental mural between 1836 and 1841 for the award theatre of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The complete work spans 27 meters and depicts 75 great artists from across centuries, gathered in an imaginary assembly.

Minister Adolphe Thiers commissioned the project in September 1836, with architect Félix Duban designing the hemicycle space. Delaroche worked with four students to complete the ambitious composition. At the center, three masters of antiquity sit enthroned: the architect Ictinus, painter Apelles, and sculptor Phidias. They represent the unity of the arts. Below them, a semi-nude figure of Fame leans forward to distribute laurel wreaths, symbolizing the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome that students at the school competed to win.

The mural draws from Raphael's School of Athens and Ingres' Apotheosis of Homer, placing painters, sculptors, and architects spanning five centuries in conversation. Idealized female figures representing muses lean against the marble balustrade, adding the only feminine element to this gathering of old masters. A fire in 1855 caused considerable damage to the original, though it remains visible at the school today.

Hémicycle (section 2)

Where to See It

The Artist

Hémicycle Series by Paul Delaroche

Hémicycle (central section)

Hémicycle (section 3)

More by Paul Delaroche

Death of Elizabeth I, Queen of England

Resting on the Banks of the Tiber

Horace Vernet

Also at École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA), Paris

Hémicycle (section 3)

Sorrow

Antiochus and Stratonice

Hémicycle (central section)

About Hémicycle (section 2)

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