Paul Lazerges Français, 1845-1902

French Orientalist painter and portraitist

Jean‑Baptiste Paul Hippolyte Lazerges was born in January 1845 in Paris. He trained under his father, Hippolyte Lazerges, an academic and Orientalist painter. Paul Lazerges began his career as a portrait painter around 1867, gaining acclaim with a portrait of Sarah Bernhardt in 1880.

Driven by a fascination with the Orient, he traveled extensively in North Africa, particularly in Algeria. There, he painted landscapes, caravan scenes, and Saharan life, blending the Barbizon school's influence with the vibrant desert light. His works are noted for their luminous skies and warm color palettes.

Lazerges' output includes both studio works—portraits and still lifes—and plein-air Orientalist paintings exhibited regularly at the Salon. He passed away in May 1902 in Asnières-sur-Seine. His oeuvre, combining masterful portraiture and poetic Orientalism, remains a captivating and radiant record of 19th-century French painting.