These gifted French brothers were born in Châlons-sur-Marne, sons of the master of drawing at the Ecole Normale de Châlons. Victor was a virtuoso of perspective, and specialised in mathematically exact views of architectural subjects, particularly in Haussmann Paris, often developed from precise geometric surveys. He exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1848. Although the work of his brother Joseph was less lauded in their lifetime, Joseph’s more figurative paintings were packed with drama and dynamism, as he brought vividly to life scenes from French history, such as the fall of the Bastille and the capture of Joan of Arc.
