Alfred Désiré Lanson (1851-1898) was born in Orleans and died in Paris after a successful and traditional career, studying initially at the Paris Ecole des Beaux Arts, and training under Rouillard, Jouffroy and Aimé Millet. He pursued numerous awards by exhibiting at the Salons from 1870 to 1898. His two main accoluades were the Prix de Rome in 1876 and the Grand Prix at the 1889 Exposition. He mainly specialised in allegorical subjects.