Charles Gleyre(b Chevilly, nr Lausanne, 2 May 1806; d
Paris, 5 May 1874).
Swiss painter and teacher, active in
France. While many of his pictures appear academic in
technique and subject, they often treat subjects that
are new or imaginatively selected in a manner that
betrays varied artistic influences. With his
contemporaries Paul Delaroche and Thomas Couture, he
helped to create the juste-milieu compromise
style of painting. Adept in classical and biblical
subjects, Gleyre also ventured into historical
iconography, employing Swiss rather than French
historical events, as well as genre motifs and sometimes
obscure original themes. His influence was immense
through his art and his teaching, which helped to form
the Néo-Grec school of the Second Empire.