Paul Delaroche, whose given first name was Hippolyte, was a French painter, the son of a wealthy family, whose father was proud of his son’s talent and able to forward his artistic education. He was trained by Antoine-Jean, Baron Gros, who then painted life-size histories and had many students. He soon entered the atelier of Thomas Couture.

In no haste to make an appearance in the Salon, his first exhibited picture was in 1822 which led to his acquaintance with Theodore Gericault and Eugène Delacroix with whom he remained on the most friendly terms, the three forming the central group of historical painters, as never before in one locality and at one time.

From 1822 the record of his life is found in his successive paintings. He visited Italy several times, when his father-in-law, Horace Vernet, was director of the French Academy. He had a studio in Paris, where he never spent a day without some good result. He was sure of his talent and had great knowledge. His subjects, definitely expressed, illustrated certain views of history, yet romantic in their general interest. This solidity in painting was also seen in the works of Auguste Ingres and was the manner of the day although his point of view of the historical characters is not always just. Delaroche presented a divine story in a humanistic way.

Paul Delaroche was not troubled by ideals, and had no affectation of them. His hard execution allowed no mystery to intervene, which was always intelligible so that he escaped all the waste of energy that painters who try to be poets on canvas suffer.

Delaroche was also a teacher of many pupils and produced many later known artists. Amon them were Gustave Clarence Rodolphe Boulanger, Jean-Léon Gérôme, and Ange Tissier.

In 1837, Delaroche commissioned a large 27 meter painting, the hemicycle of the lecture theatre of the École des Beaux Arts. Executed in oil and finished in 1841, it was injured by a fire which occurred in 1855, which Delaroche immediately set out to repair but he died before he had well begun in 1856. The restoration was completed by Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury.