Born of Spanish parents, in 1825 he became a decorator of porcelain at Ars�ne Gillet's factory where he met Jules Dupr�, Gillet's nephew. In the late 1820s he began painting his first oils, perhaps receiving lessons from Fran�ois Souchon (1787-1857). He also copied and was much influenced by the paintings of Correggio (c.1494-1534) and Prud'hon. His small-scale richly coloured landscapes, mythological scenes and sc�nes de fantaisie were popular with collectors. One of the leading figures of the Barbizon school of landscape painters, his later career was much influenced by his friend Th�odore Rousseau, with whom he often painted in the forest of Fontainebleau.