Art Blogging: Paul Delaroche

Paul Delaroche (1797-1856) was a French Academic painter. He was born in Paris, the son of a prosperous art dealer, and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and later in the studio of Antoine-Jean Gros. From his master he learned the craft of history painting, for which Delaroche was to become famous. He composed enormous canvases depicting scenes from popular (but not necessarily factually precise) historical memories. His success acquired the British attention, leading to the commissioning of several episodes from that nation's history. Delaroche was also commissioned by the Bourbons to create religious works as a countermeasure to Revolutionary France's prior abandonment of that subject matter.

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (oil on canvas, 1834, at the National Gallery).

Young Christian Marytr (oil on canvas, 1855, at the Louvre). This image, often mistaken for an Ophelia, demonstrates Delaroche's remarkable luminescence, such as the ethereal halo floating over the pallid body of this martyr.














Virgin and Child (oil on canvas, 1844).