Prix de Rome

:This article concerns the French government prize. For similarly named prizes aimed at other countries nationals, see Prix de Rome (disambiguation).

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The Prix de Rome is a scholarship for students of the arts.

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It originated in 1663 in France under the reign of King Louis XIV as an annual reward for promising young painters, sculptors, and architects who demonstrated their excellence by participating in demanding elimination contests with their peers. There were competitions in Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, and Etching; in 1803, Musical Composition was added. The winners were sent to study at the Académie de France in Rome, Italy, founded by Jean Baptiste Colbert in 1666.

Related Topics:
1663 - France - King Louis XIV - 1803 - Académie de France in Rome - Italy - Jean Baptiste Colbert - 1666

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Students often competed for several consecutive years and suffered greatly if they did not win. Some of the famous artists who competed for the Grand Prix de Rome in painting, without winning or even receiving even an honorable mention, included Eugène Delacroix, Edouard Manet, and Edgar Degas.

Related Topics:
Eugène Delacroix - Edouard Manet - Edgar Degas

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Well-known composers and painters who have received the award include:

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• Hector Berlioz (1830)
• Georges Bizet (1857)
• Lili Boulanger (1913)
• Gustave Charpentier (1887)
• Claude Debussy (1884)
• Marcel Dupré (1914)
• Charles Gounod (1839)
• Jacques Halévy (1819)
• Albert Henry Krehbiel, American painter studying at Academie Julian in Paris, (1905)
• Ambroise Thomas (1832)

Several well-known composers entered the competition but failed to win it, notably Camille Saint-Saëns (1852 and 1864) and Maurice Ravel (various years).

Related Topics:
Camille Saint-Saëns - 1852 - 1864 - Maurice Ravel

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For 300 years, the French Grand Prix de Rome in History Painting was the highest honour that an artist from anywhere in the world could achieve, capturing the attention of the international press and catapulting its winners towards fame and, often, down the road to financially successful art careers. The gruelling competition for the Prix de Rome was abolished in 1968, but the prize is still given to young artists whom the Academie deems worthy of encouragement.

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Several countries offer separate Prix de Rome prizes including Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, and in the United States, an annual prize offered by the American Academy in Rome.

Related Topics:
Separate Prix de Rome - Belgium - Canada - The Netherlands - United States - American Academy in Rome

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