Pierre Victor Galland

PIERRE VICTOR GALLAND (Geneva, 1822- Paris, 1892).
"Saint Denis preaching to the Gauls", 1888.
Ink on paper.
Signed and dated.
The paper has foxing, tears and stains.
Measurements: 32 x 25 cm; 59 x 50 cm (frame).

In this ink on paper it is represented in a sketchy way the bishop Dionysius evangelizing the Gauls. Later, after founding many churches and baptizing thousands of pagans, he was imprisoned by the Roman governor of Lutetia, today's Paris, and sentenced to death, like his companions Rusticus and Eleuterius.

At first, the painter Pierre-Victor Galland studied metalwork with his father, Jacques Galland, a goldsmith. He later joined the architectural studio of Henri Labrouste. After two years of training, Labrouste encouraged him to pursue his interest in decorative art under the direction of Michel Martin Drolling. Galland was responsible for the ceiling of the grand staircase of Dartmouth House in Mayfair, London.