Esquisse pour la salle des prévôts de l'Hôtel de Ville de Paris : Allégorie du 2 décembre 1852

Leon Riesener was a French Romantic painter, born in Paris on 17 October 1808. He was the son of the famous French cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener and the brother of the painter Eugène Riesener. Leon began his artistic training in the studio of Antoine-Jean Gros, a prominent French painter of the Romantic period. Riesener's early works were influenced by the Romantic movement, which emphasised emotion, individualism and imagination. He painted scenes from history, mythology and literature, often depicting heroic or tragic figures. Riesener's style was characterised by bold brushstrokes, intense colours and dramatic lighting. In 1832, Riesener exhibited his painting 'The Death of Sardanapalus' at the Salon de Paris, which won him critical acclaim. The painting depicts the Assyrian king Sardanapalus burning himself alive with his possessions and concubines during the siege of Nineveh. The work was inspired by a play by Lord Byron and is considered one of Riesener's masterpieces. Throughout his career, Riesener received numerous commissions from wealthy patrons and institutions. He painted murals for the Palace of Versailles and the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, as well as portraits of prominent figures such as Victor Hugo and George Sand. Riesener died in Paris on 1 September 1878, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most important painters of French Romanticism.