Paul Chenavard began his training at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lyon before moving to Paris in 1825. There he continued his studies under Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Eugène Delacroix, among others. From 1827 to 1829, he travelled through Italy, where he met Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel. Under his influence, Chenavard began to take an interest in philosophy. As a result, he adopted philosophical and religious motifs for his history paintings. In 1853, Chenavard was awarded the order of the Légion d’Honneur, and, in 1855, he won a medal at the Universal Exposition.