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Historical Artist - Paul Delaroche (1797 - 1856)
Trained as a landscapist, Paul Delaroche switched to figure painting in 1817 after the failure
of his work. He began to study under Gros and exhibit at the Paris Salon beginning in the
1820’s. Delaroche’s historical subjects were painted in a combination of romantic
and classical styles. His reputation plummeted after his death, but received a revival in more
recent years. Delaroche was born into a wealthy family and was trained by Antoine-Jean, Baron
Gros, who then painted life-size histories and had many students. His subjects were painted with
a firm, solid, smooth surface, which gave an appearance of the highest finish. This texture was
the manner of the day and was also found in the works of Vernet, Ary Scheffer, Louis-Leopold
Robert and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Delaroche's paintings, with their straightforward
technique and dramatic compositions, became very popular. He applied essentially the same
treatment to the characters of distant historical times, the founders of the Christian religion,
and the real people of his own day, such as "Napoleon at Fontainebleau,"
"Napoleon at St Helena," or "Marie Antoinette leaving the Convention after her
sentence."
Contemporary French Artists
Art Galleries in France
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