Jean-Baptiste Delestre

Who was Jean-Baptiste Delestre?

Jean-Baptiste Delestre, a French artist and writer upon art, was born at Lyons in 1800. He was a pupil of Gros, and studied also water-colour painting and sculpture, but after a time he forsook the practice of art, and devoted himself to its history and criticism. He was a radical in politics, and took an active part in the revolution of 1848. He died in Paris in 1871. A 'Scene during the eruption of Vesuvius,' by him, is in the Museum of Nantes. His principal writings were 'Études progressives des têtes du Cénacle peint a Milan par Leonard de Vinci,' 1827, and 'Gros et ses ouvrages,' 1867.