Pierre Auguste Cot was born on February 19, 1837 in Bedarieux. He was a French academic painter of some renown, and two of his paintings in particular, The Storm (showed above) and Springtime (showed below) have maintained popularity.
Cot studied at l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts and then moved on to Paris, where he continued to foster his skills under the instruction of several well-established artists, including William-Adolphe Bouguereau, whose style was quite similar.
Each of Cot’s works was characterized by a graceful strength and beauty, emanating both peace and passion. He did allegorical work such as the two mentioned above, as well as stunning portraits.
Below are shown Springtime and Ophelia.
