Jean-Paul Laurens strongly believed in the importance of well-chosen subjects. His works always originated form a narrative framework supplied by stories or chronicles. These provided material for his representations of significant scenes. The impact of the painting depended partly on how much the spectator had to know before understanding it, which explains the captions - often quite long - that accompanied the paintings in the Salon catalogues or on the walls decorated by Laurens.
Another characteristic of Jean-Paul Laurens' work was his taste for historical drama into which he poured a full measure of his talent. His sense of detail, his concern for the "archaeological" accuracy of decors and costumes and a wonderful sense of composition made him an eclectic artist who was to become a source of inspiration for directors of epic films.
His impressive design and vigorous colouring, the confidence of his drawing, the balance in his composition and the generosity of his style are undeniably demonstrated in his finest works. The variety of his styles, which he adapted to suit the purpose of each work and his ability to adjust a gesture to a format, is exemplary of his perfect mastery of technical methods of painting. Laurens remains one of the greatest academic painters of the end of the 19th century.
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