Pierre Charles Comte

Comte was a pupil of Claude Bonnefond at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Lyon between 1840 and 1842. He then moved to Paris to enter the studio of Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury. He exhibited at the Salon in Paris between 1848 and 1887, and in Lyon. He obtained a 3rd class medal at the Salon of 1852, a 2nd class medal at those of 1853 and 1855 and a recall in 1857. He received a 3rd class medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1867. He then settled in Fontainebleau. He first practiced history painting, in particular dedicated to the history of the Valois, and genre painting. From 1875, he changed his style by adopting a more "modern" technique. He also made many sculptures in his final years. His grave rests in the cemetery of Fontainebleau.

The recorded working language is French. Works named in the authority record are The Meeting of Henri III and the Duc de Guise. Work by Pierre Charles Comte is recorded in the collections of M Leuven, Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, Musée d'Orsay, Tomaselli Collection and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Blois.

• Illustration — The Secret Rendezvous • Illustration — The Coronation of Inês de Castro in 1361, 1849 • Illustration — Interrupted Reading • Illustration — Jeanne III of Navarre buying poisoned gloves from Catherine de' Medici's Parfumeur, René • Illustration — The curious woman in the alchemist knight's study