Paul Delaroche

Born into a family of artists, he initially studied landscape painting but joined Antoine-Jean Gros's studio to pursue history painting, marking the start of his illustrious career.¹

A central figure among Parisian history painters, he associated with Géricault and Delacroix, influencing each other during the golden age of 19th-century French painting.¹

His 1833 masterpiece, 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey,' received immense acclaim. Its dramatic depiction of English history became a sensation across Europe.¹

Shocked by the harsh critical reception of his religious works in 1837, he completely stopped exhibiting his paintings at the Salon from then on.¹

He visited Italy in 1838 and 1843 to study religious art, supported by his father-in-law Horace Vernet, who was the director of the French Academy in Rome.¹

Until his death in 1856, he worked on a four-part series on the Life of the Virgin. Only 'The Virgin Contemplating the Crown of Thorns' was completed, becoming his final work.¹