Saint John the Baptist with the Baptism and Predication

The Haros were a French family of painters, colourmen, dealers and restorers. This painting, attributed to Jan Swart van Groningen, belonged to Henri Haro (1855-1911), whose grandfather was an artist who also owned an artist's supply shop frequented by Ingres and Delacroix. Henri Haro's father, Etienne-François Haro (1827-1897), became one of the most distinguished art dealers of his day, buying old masters as well as the work of contemporary artists; Manet, Courbet, Alfred Sisley, as well as Delacroix and Ingres counted among his friends. Most of Etienne-François Haro's private collection was dispersed in two sales, one in 1892 and another after his death. Henri Haro studied painting under his father and with Carolus-Duran, before becoming an art dealer. This picture was included in his posthumous sale, which was wide-ranging in taste and included paintings by Hubert Robert, Vigée-Lebrun, Delacroix and Ingres.