Like his better-known elder brother Hippolyte, Paul Flandrin studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon before entering the studio of Ingres in Paris in 1829. The brothers were among the first pupils taken on by Ingres, and grew to be the master’s favourite students.

Somewhat more shy and reserved than his brother, Paul Flandrin maintained a lifelong interest in landscape painting, and in particular the genre of the paysage historique, in which category he won a prize at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts* in 1832. The same year Hippolyte won the Prix de Rome* in the category of history painting, and left for Rome.

Paul won the prize in the category of the paysage historique the following year, and joined Hippolyte in R...