Jean-Paul Laurens was a French painter and sculptor born in Fourquevaux on March 28, 1838. He was a pupil of Léon Cogniet and Alexandre Bida and became one of the last major exponents of the French Academic style. He was strongly anti-clerical and republican, and his work often conveyed a message of opposition to monarchical and clerical oppression.
He was commissioned to paint numerous public works by the French Third Republic, including the steel vault of the Paris City Hall and the monumental series on Saint Genevieve in the Panthéon. He also taught at the Académie Julian and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. His work has been re-evaluated as an important renewal of history painting.
“His work was often on historical and religious themes, through which he sought to convey a message of opposition to monarchical and clerical oppression.”
He died in Paris on March 23, 1921, at the age of 82. Two of his sons also became painters and teachers. His work continues to be studied and appreciated for its historical and artistic significance.