Jules Gabriel Levasseur

Born in the former 1st arrondissement of Paris, he was a son of Joséphine Justine Renard and her husband Pierre Levasseur, making him part of a family of watchmakers. He joined Alexis-François Girard's studio in 1838 to learn drawing and mezzotint engraving, a technique which he did not try From 1842 onwards he studied at Paris' École des beaux-arts, ending his time there in the class of Louis-Pierre Henriquel-Dupont. He became friends with Gustave Bertinot and competed for the prix de Rome. He was a faithful but untalented imitator of engravers in the classical tradition. From 1855 onwards he exhibited at the Paris Salon, where he won honourable mentions in 1859 and 1863, two second class medals in 1877 and one first class medal in 1878. He also won one medal each at the World's Fairs in 1873 and 1878. He contributed illustrations to the complete works of Alfred de Musset published by Charpentier in 1878 after drawings by Alexandre Bida, as well as to a book of offices published by Marius Michel (1846-1925). He seems to have been active until 1898 and died at home at 33 rue d'Assas in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. His widow Alina Ganning was aged 74 at the time of his death.