Albert Besnard (1849-1934) was born in Paris to parents who were both artists;  his mother was a distinguished miniaturist.  Besnard began his art studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts at age 17 studying under Cabanel.  In 1874, Besnard was awarded the Grand Prix of Rome.  After marrying Mlle Charlotte Dubray, daughter of a sculptor and sculptress herself, Besnard began developing his own unique style departing from the methodologies learned at the Academy.  Between 1881-1884, Besnard exhibited at the Royal Academy.  The exhibition of his portrait "Le Portrait de Madame Roger Jourdain" at the Salon of 1886 demonstrated his new use of light and shadows which became his defining style.  In 1889, Besnard's "Woman Warming Herself By the Fire" was exhibited and is now in the Musee d'Art Moderne.  Besnard went on to a successful career and was appointed Member of the Academy des Beaux-Arts, the Acadamie Francaise, Grand-Croix de la Legion d'Honneaur, Director of the Villa Medici at Rome and the Director of the Ecole Beaux-Arts.