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Ary Scheffer: Romantic Painter of the July Monarchy

publication · 2026-05-11

The most recent edition of Beaux Arts Magazine highlights Ary Scheffer, a significant figure in the Romantic art movement, born in Dordrecht, Netherlands, on February 10, 1795. After relocating to Paris in 1811, he studied under Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, sharing the experience with notable artists like Géricault and Delacroix. His artwork from 1819 intrigued the Duke of Orléans, resulting in his appointment as drawing instructor to Louis-Philippe I in 1822. Scheffer later established a renowned studio at 16 rue Chaptal, hosting prominent gatherings. He passed away in Argenteuil on June 15, 1858, leaving behind a legacy honored by the Musée de la Vie romantique.

Key facts

  • Ary Scheffer was born February 10, 1795 in Dordrecht, Netherlands.
  • He moved to Paris in 1811 and studied at the École des beaux-arts under Pierre-Narcisse Guérin.
  • In 1819, his painting 'Le Dévouement patriotique des six bourgeois de Calais en 1342' won him the patronage of the Duke of Orléans.
  • He became drawing master to the children of the Duke of Orléans in 1822.
  • Scheffer built two studios at 16 rue Chaptal in 1831, hosting Friday gatherings with Chopin, Liszt, George Sand, and others.
  • From the 1830s, he focused on compositions inspired by Dante, Goethe, and the Gospels.
  • His painting 'Les Ombres de Francesca da Rimini et de Paolo Malatesta' (1855) is considered his masterpiece, with at least six versions.
  • Scheffer died June 15, 1858 in Argenteuil; his studio became the Musée de la Vie romantique in 1983.

Entities

Artists

  • Ary Scheffer
  • Pierre-Narcisse Guérin
  • Théodore Géricault
  • Eugène Delacroix
  • Frédéric Chopin
  • Franz Liszt
  • George Sand
  • Pauline Viardot
  • Ivan Tourgueniev
  • Charles Dickens
  • Dante Alighieri
  • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Institutions

  • Beaux Arts Magazine
  • École des beaux-arts
  • Musée de la Vie romantique
  • Musée des Beaux Arts, Grenoble
  • Château de Versailles et Trianon
  • Musée du Louvre

Locations

  • Dordrecht
  • Netherlands
  • Paris
  • France
  • Nouvelle Athènes
  • 16 rue Chaptal
  • 75009 Paris
  • Argenteuil
  • England
  • Souli
  • Épire
  • Zalongo
  • Calais

Sources