











Paul Delaroche
Delaroche set The Execution of Lady Jane Grey indoors for maximum drama, even though the real execution took place outdoors at the Tower of London. The model for Jane is thought to have been his mistress, an actress known as Mademoiselle Anais. The painting was lost during the Second World War and remained missing until 1973, when a Tate curator found the canvas rolled up inside another painting while sorting through damaged carpets.

Biography
He was born in 1797 in Paris and specialised in English and French history scenes because they sold well. In his own lifetime, his commercial success often exceeded both Ingres and Delacroix. Upon first seeing the daguerreotype in 1839, he reportedly declared: from today, painting is dead.
He married Louise Vernet, daughter of the painter Horace Vernet, in 1835. She was the absorbing passion of his life. She died in 1845, aged thirty-one. He sketched her on her deathbed; the drawing survives at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He never recovered from the loss. His later work turned exclusively to religious subjects. He died in 1856.
Timeline
- 1828Painted "Death of Elizabeth I, Queen of England" aged 31.
- 1829Painted "The State Barge of Cardinal Richelieu on the Rhone" aged 32.
- 1834Painted "Assassination of Henry I, Duke of Guise" aged 37.
- 1836Painted "Charles Ier insulté par les soldats de Cromwell" aged 39.
- 1846Painted "Napoléon Bonaparte abdicated in Fontainebleau" aged 49.
- 1849Painted "Cromwell before the Coffin of Charles I" aged 52.
Notable Works
Tap to view larger.
Where to See Paul Delaroche
10 museums worldwide.
-
-
12 worksLouvre
Paris, France
Wed–Mon 09:00–18:00 (Fri until 21:45); closed Tue · €22 adults, free under-18
-
5 worksHermitage Museum
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Tue, Thu, Sat–Sun 10:30–18:00; Wed, Fri 10:30–21:00; closed Mon · 500 RUB adults (Russian residents), 1000 RUB international
-
3 worksRoyal Collection
London, United Kingdom
Thu–Sun 10:00–17:30 (seasonal; closed during State Rooms open weeks) · £19 adults, £12 under-25
-
2 works
Condé Museum
Chantilly, France
-
1 worksMusée Magnin
Dijon, France
Next stop
Realism →
Explore the artists and ideas of Realism.
Paul Delaroche prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Paul Delaroche's body of work.
The Young Martyr - Paul Delaroche
From £30.00
A Child Learning to Read - Paul Delaroche
From £37.00
A Family Scene - Paul Delaroche
From £37.00
Fra Filippo Lippi Falling in Love with his Model - Paul Delaroche
From £37.00
Resting on the Banks of the Tiber - Paul Delaroche
From £37.00
Young Mother and Her Children - Paul Delaroche
From £28.00
Take Paul Delaroche home.
See all Paul Delaroche prints →Frequently Asked Questions
How did paul delaroche die?
Paul Delaroche died in 1856 at the age of 59.What is Paul Delaroche's most famous work?
Paul Delaroche was a French painter (1797-1856) who achieved considerable success during the July Monarchy. He is known for historical paintings that blended aspects of Classicism and Romanticism. Delaroche's The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, completed in 1833, proved very popular when exhibited at the Salon in 1834. Its appeal lay in the combination of a dramatic, emotionally charged subject from English Tudor history, depicted with apparent accuracy, which touched public sensibilities without causing disgust. The painting shows the moment immediately before Lady Jane's beheading. The popularity of The Execution of Lady Jane Grey led Delaroche to produce a reduced-scale copy, possibly the one now held in the Guildhall Art Gallery[5] in London. This smaller version would have assisted Adolphe Goupil's print publishers with making an engraving. Work began on the engraving in 1834, but it was not completed until 1857, a year after Delaroche's death. Another noted work is The Death of the Sons of King Edward in the Tower (1831). Its theatrical nature inspired Casimir Delavigne to write a tragedy with a stage set closely based on Delaroche's painting.What should I know about Paul Delaroche's prints?
Paul Delaroche paintings were often reproduced as prints, increasing public awareness of his work. He had an arrangement with the print publisher Adolphe Goupil to produce and publish engravings after his paintings. For large paintings, such as *Lady Jane Grey*, *The Children of Edward IV*, and *Joan of Arc*, Delaroche painted a reduced-scale copy. The engraving could then be made from this smaller version. It is possible that the painting of *Lady Jane Grey* now in the collection of the Guildhall Art Gallery[5], London, is the reduced-scale copy used for the print. The engraving of *Lady Jane Grey* was created by Mercurij, one of several engravers who worked for Goupil. The engraving was started in 1834 but was not completed until 1857, after Delaroche's death. Several of Delaroche's paintings, including *Children of Edward IV*, were reproduced by lithography.What style or movement did Paul Delaroche belong to?
Paul Delaroche (1797-1856) occupies a position between the Neoclassical and Romantic movements in French painting. During the July Monarchy of Louis Philippe (who took the throne in 1830), official art steered a middle course between Classicism and Romanticism. It combined the careful composition of the former with the emotional content of the latter. This approach, described as the *juste milieu*, has been called the art of the bourgeoisie. Delaroche was one of its most successful exponents. After training with Louis-Etienne Watelet and Constant Desbordes, Delaroche entered the studio of Antoine-Jean Gros, a student of David. Delaroche achieved early success at the Salon. His painting *The Execution of Lady Jane Grey*, completed in 1833, was well received at the 1834 Salon exhibition. Delaroche undertook exhaustive research for his historical paintings. Some critics found his work theatrical; he used model rooms and wax figures to assist with composition.What techniques or materials did Paul Delaroche use?
Paul Delaroche, a figure in French academic painting during the July Monarchy, employed specific techniques and materials in his artistic practice. His painting method in early 19th-century France involved a sequence of steps. Initially, drawings were prepared, and the composition was outlined on the prepared canvas. Modelling was indicated using a reddish-brown "sauce". Local colour, light, and shade were then applied. This initial sketch was elaborated upon using a range of tones. The final stage involved refining this process. Delaroche also used small model rooms with wax figures to aid in composition. For "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey", Delaroche undertook detailed research. A small watercolour study exists, showing differences from the final painting, particularly in colour. He also made numerous drawings for individual elements; two studies survive, one in the Louvre and another in the British Museum. Delaroche's palette included lead white, ochres, Cassel earth, charcoal, cobalt blue, and red lake pigments. He used cochineal for crimson glazes and a varnish medium, possibly vernis des Anglais, for glazes. Surprisingly, the red in the executioner's tights was a mix of two red lake pigments, vermilion, and lead white. His technique involved painting a grisaille version first, then adding colour.What was Paul Delaroche known for?
Paul Delaroche (1797-1856) was a French painter who achieved considerable recognition during the July Monarchy. A student of Antoine-Jean Gros, he later inherited Gros's studio in 1833 and became a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts. His studio became one of the busiest of the period; his pupils included Jean-Léon Gérôme, Charles-François Daubigny, Jean-François Millet, Adolphe Monticelli, and Thomas Couture. Delaroche's paintings often depicted subjects from French and English history. His 1833 work, *The Execution of Lady Jane Grey*, gained significant attention at the Salon exhibition of 1834. The painting's dramatic tension appealed to popular taste. Delaroche undertook exhaustive research before starting any painting project. He also used small model rooms, within which he arranged wax figures to assist in the composition of his paintings. In 1837, Delaroche received a commission to decorate the apse of the École des Beaux-Arts with a cycle of artists since Antiquity, known as the Hemicycle.When did Paul Delaroche live and work?
Paul Delaroche (christened Hippolyte) was born in 1797 and died in 1856. A French painter, he achieved considerable success during the July Monarchy of Louis Philippe, who came to the throne in 1830. This was a time of technological advance and increasing industrialisation, marked by the rise of a wealthy middle class. Official art followed a middle course between Classicism and Romanticism. Delaroche was one of its most popular exponents. After early training with the painter Louis-Etienne Watelet and with Constant Desbordes, Delaroche entered the studio of Antoine-Jean Gros, a disciple of David. In 1833, he inherited Gros's studio and became a professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. His studio was perhaps the busiest and most effective of the period; his pupils included Gerome, Daubigny, Millet, Monticelli, and Thomas Couture, himself the master of Edouard Manet.Where can I see Paul Delaroche's work?
Paul Delaroche's paintings can be found in many galleries and museums in Europe and North America. For example, the Musée du Louvre in Paris holds his *Apollo and Daphne*. Other museums in Paris that hold works by Delaroche are the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Outside of France, Delaroche's work can be viewed at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, and the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. In the United States, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York owns paintings by Delaroche, as does the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. These are only some of the public collections that hold his paintings.Where was Paul Delaroche from?
Paul Delaroche was born in Paris, France, in 1797. His father was an art dealer, which no doubt influenced his early exposure to the art world. He initially trained with the painter Louis-Etienne Watelet, who specialised in landscapes. Delaroche then entered the studio of Antoine-Jean Gros, a follower of David. Gros's studio was later inherited by Delaroche in 1833, when he also became a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts. Delaroche gained considerable recognition during the July Monarchy, a period of technological advancement and industrialisation in France. He became a popular exponent of the juste milieu in art, which sought a middle ground between classicism and romanticism. His studio became one of the most active and influential of the time, with pupils including Jean-Léon Gérôme, Charles-François Daubigny and Jean-François Millet.Who did Paul Delaroche influence?
Paul Delaroche, a prominent figure in French academic painting, had a notable impact on subsequent artists. As a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts from 1833, his studio became a hub for aspiring painters. Among his pupils were Jean-Léon Gérôme, Charles-François Daubigny, Jean-François Millet, Adolphe Monticelli, and Thomas Couture; Couture himself later taught Édouard Manet. Delaroche's influence extended beyond his direct students. His historical paintings, known for their meticulous detail and theatrical presentation, appealed to the sensibilities of the time. His work decorating the apse of the École des Beaux-Arts, called the Hemicycle, served as a model of allegorical fresco painting for artists from various countries for decades. The German artist Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld employed Delaroche's encaustic technique for wall paintings in the Residence in Munich.Why are Paul Delaroche's works important today?
Paul Delaroche (1797-1856) was a French painter who achieved considerable recognition during the July Monarchy. A student of Antoine-Jean Gros, he later inherited Gros's studio and became a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts. His studio became one of the most popular of the period; pupils included Jean-Léon Gérôme, Charles-François Daubigny, Jean-François Millet, Adolphe Monticelli, and Thomas Couture. Delaroche's paintings often depicted subjects from French and English history. His work, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, was a success at the Salon exhibition of 1834. The painting presents a moment of dramatic tension, appealing to popular taste without being repulsive. Delaroche undertook detailed research for his painting projects, sometimes using model rooms with wax figures to aid composition. Delaroche also received commissions to decorate public spaces. In 1837, he was commissioned to decorate the apse of the École des Beaux-Arts with a cycle of artists since antiquity, known as the Hemicycle. For this work, he used the ancient encaustic technique, applying hot melted wax to the plaster to create a smooth, damp-resistant surface.What art movement was Paul Delaroche part of?
Paul Delaroche was associated with Realism and Romanticism.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Paul Delaroche.
- [1] museum Musée Hyacinthe-Rigaud Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum National Galleries Scotland Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Besançon Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Dahesh Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Guildhall Art Gallery Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Getty, Getty - Historical Painting Techniques Materials and Studio Practice Used for: biography.
- [8] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
- [9] book Neoclassicism and romanticism : architecture, sculpture, painting, drawings, 1750-1848 Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-15. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
Editorial standardsMethodologyCorrectionsAI disclosureAbout the editorial team








