Ary Scheffer
A Romantic painter who turned the epic sorrows of Dante and Goethe into haunting, popular images for 19th-century Parisian salons.
1795–1858 (age 63)·Dutch-French painter·Birthday: February 10
Biography
Ary Scheffer’s life was a canvas of political and artistic crosscurrents. Born in the Netherlands, he moved to Paris as a child and trained under the Neoclassical master Guérin, but his heart belonged to the emotional pull of Romanticism. Scheffer found his signature subject matter not in contemporary scenes, but in the timeless dramas of literature and faith. His paintings of Francesca da Rimini, Mignon, and Christ the Consoler became fixtures in the popular imagination, reproduced widely as engravings. His success was cemented by a fortuitous connection to the royal family; as drawing master to King Louis-Philippe’s children, he enjoyed immense patronage and a luxurious studio in the heart of Paris. While critics sometimes dismissed his work as overly sentimental, Scheffer’s ability to visualize literary pathos made him one of the most recognized and financially successful artists of his day.
#1 When Ary Was Born
The biggest hits of 1795
Ary's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1795Born
1800Started school
1808Became a teenager
1811Could drive
1813Could vote
1816Turned 21
1825Turned 30
1835Turned 40
1845Turned 50
1855Turned 60
1858Died at 63
Key Achievements
- Created widely influential paintings based on literary works by Dante, Goethe, and Byron, such as 'Francesca da Rimini' and 'The Shades of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Appear to Dante and Virgil'.
- Served as the appointed drawing master to the children of King Louis-Philippe, securing his position in French high society.
- Was a central figure in the Romantic movement in France and a founding member of the Société des Amis des Arts.
- Maintained a famous atelier in the Rue Chaptal, which became a cultural salon for artists, musicians, and writers.
Did You Know?
His mother ran a prominent literary salon in Paris, where he met many influential figures from a young age.
He was the brother-in-law of the historian Auguste Trognon and the sculptor Aimé Millet.
Despite his royal patronage, he reportedly sheltered Polish refugees during the November Uprising against Russia.
A street in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, near his former studio, is named after him.
“A subject must be felt, not merely seen, to be truly painted.”
