This thesis examines the life of nineteenth century French academic painter Jean-Leon Gerome (1824-1904), his connection to the international art market, and his homoerotic Orientalist paintings. Analyzing these paintings from a Queer Studies viewpoint, it becomes clear that many of his Orientalist works are homoerotic in nature, and appeal to both a homosexual and heterosexual viewer.

Scholarly knowledge is limited on Gerome in general, and particularly on his Orientalist and homoerotic paintings. My thesis explores this subject matter and analyzes the social and artistic clues given in the works. I discuss in depth some of Gerome's most well-known Orientalist works: Moorish Bath, 1870, The Bath, 1880-1885, Pelt Merchant of Cairo, 1869, and The Snake Charmer, 1879, and examine the homoeroticism of the respective subject in detail. I collectively identify sixty-five homoerotic Orientalist themed paintings by Gerome of which thirty-two are of male homoerotic themes and thirty-three female homoerotic themes. The market and the audience of these works show that Gerome filled a certain need for this subject matter. Gerome's ability to appeal to a wider audience is part of the reason why he was successful as an artist.