Biography

Found in 18410000Conversation_JohnCarlin_WHS_FMS1. John Carlin's "French Master."
The French painter Hippolyte Delaroche was more commonly known as Paul. His father had made his fortune by negotiating and cataloguing, buying and selling. He used his money to give his son an artistic education and was proud of his son's talent. He was educated under Gros, who was at that time painting life-size histories. His first picture was of Josabeth saving Joas in 1822. This led to his acquiantance with Géricault and Delacroix, whom he was on friendly terms with for the rest of his life. They formed the central group of a large body of historical painters. Delaroche visited Italy in 1838 & 1843 while his father-in-law, Horace Vernet, was director of the French Academy. His Paris studio was situated in the rue Mazarine. In 1837 Delaroche was commissioned to paint a 27 meter long picture in the hemicycle of the lecture theatre of the École des Beaux Arts. This painting represents the great artists of the modern era in groups to the sides of a central elevation which is filled by the architects and sculptors of the Parthenon. He also painted the muses in order to add a female element. It is painted directly on the wall with oil paints. He finished it in 1841, but it was damaged in a fire in 1855. He planned to fix the damage, but died on November 4, 1856 before he could begin on the wall.