Ary Scheffer

Kingdom of the Netherlands·1795-1858

Ary Scheffer painted literature and faith. Born in Dordrecht in 1795, he moved to Paris as a young man and studied under Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, emerging as a distinctive voice among Romantic painters. While Romanticism flourished around him—Delacroix, Géricault, Sigalon—Scheffer developed what critics called a "frigidly classical" style, finding subjects instead in Dante, Goethe, Byron, and scripture. He painted Faust and Beatrice, Francesca da Rimini and the Magi, Christ Consolator and the sufferings of saints. A skilled portraitist, he captured Chopin, Liszt, Lafayette, and Dickens. His connection to King Louis-Philippe brought prosperity and commissions until 1848, when revolution ended the monarchy. Scheffer withdrew from public life, producing paintings displayed only after his death in Argenteuil. His reputation faded, critics praising his charm but condemning vacant sentiment and weak colour.