When I was studying in art school, there was bad painting and good painting. So I heard and learned a lot about Courbet, Matisse, Van Gogh, Cézanne and Picasso… But no teacher talked to me about Bouguereau or Gérôme. Their art was called "Academic" or "Art Pompier" (in french). It was historical painting, with mythological scenes and great battles. It was the official art in the French Second Empire. For a complete review, see wikipedia. Such painters were conservative. They showed their work at The Salon (a giant exhibition held in Paris), and sold their paintings to fortunate private collectors. They were making big money. In the meantime, Realist and Impressionist artists began to attack Academic Art, it was denigrated and seen as "bourgeois" or "kitsch". In the 20th century, with the raise of modern art, Academic painting was nearly blacklisted. But today it is gaining more interest… For instance, a movie maker like Ridley Scott looked closely at Gérôme paintings to prepare his movie GLADIATOR. Academic painting was certainly a source of inspiration for him. And it was already the case in 1977 when he directed THE DUELLIST, with atmospheres directly taken from the paintings of Academic painter Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier.