Pollice Verso
Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1872Fine art reproduction on 200gsm matte paper. A5 to A2, plus 12x16 and 18x24 inches.The crowd has spoken. Thumbs turn down along the front row, and the victor waits for the signal to strike.
Jean-Léon Gérôme finished Pollice Verso in 1872, after setting it aside during the Franco-Prussian War. A gladiator in a crested helmet stands over his fallen opponent, a net fighter whose trident lies in the sand. Above them the crowd leans forward to decide his fate. The Latin title means "with a turned thumb".
Look closely at the front row on the right. The women in white are Vestal Virgins, the priestesses of Rome, and they give the sign for death. Notice the gilded eagles of Rome by the imperial box. Critics argued over whether Romans ever turned their thumbs down, and a pamphlet on the question appeared in 1879. Gérôme's image won anyway. It fixed thumbs down in the popular mind and inspired the film Gladiator in 2000. The original hangs in the Phoenix Art Museum.
The look
Sun-baked sand, Roman red walls and the glint of gold armour under a sea of faces. Loud, dramatic and full of detail. Ancient Rome wall art for a study, a home library or a hallway, and vintage wall art with the noise of the arena in it.
Sizes
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8 x 8.3 in |
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 cm | 8.3 x 11.7 in |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 in |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 cm | 16.5 x 23.4 in |
| 12 x 16 in | 30.5 x 40.6 cm | 12 x 16 in |
| 18 x 24 in | 45.7 x 61 cm | 18 x 24 in |
This painting stops at A2. Above that size the original photograph loses the fine detail of the brushwork, so the shop does not offer it.
Custom sizes on request. Inch sizes have a slightly different shape from A sizes, so the edges trim a little. Size guide
Frames and delivery
Choose a black, white or oak frame, or order the print unframed. It is printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada or Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees. Printing and delivery
Gifting
A bold gift for a birthday, a graduation or a new home library. The painting which gave the world thumbs down.
More like this
For the quiet after the fight, see Gladiators after the Combat by José Moreno Carbonero. For more drama, see Death on the Pale Horse by Gustave Doré in our Gothic Memento Mori Art collection.
