Albert Besnard (1849-1934)

Born on June 2, 1849 in Paris as Paul Albert Besnard, he is most acclaimed for his ideological and decorative works, including his frescoes at the Sorbonne, the Ecole de Pharmacie, the ceiling of the Comédie-Française (main theatre in Paris), the Salle des Sciences at the Hôtel de Ville, the mairie of the Ier arrondissement, and the chapel of Berck hospital, for which he painted twelve Stations of the Cross.

In 1866, the seventeen-year-old son of artist parents began his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Paris. In 1874, Besnard won the important Prix de Rome, with which the academy distinguished young talent. A portion of the scholarship is a stay of several years in Rome. Besnard...