Alexis Joseph Mazerolle

Alexis-Joseph Mazerolle (1826–1889) was a celebrated French painter and decorative artist, admired for his mastery of historical and mythological subjects and his monumental public commissions. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts under Marc-Charles-Gabriel Gleyre and Pierre Dupuis, he developed a refined academic style marked by precision, drama, and rich color.

Mazerolle’s work was a fixture at the Paris Salon, where he earned multiple medals, and he became renowned for large-scale decorative projects. His ceilings for the Comédie-Française, the Théâtre du Vaudeville, and the foyer of the Grand Théâtre of Angers showcase his ability to combine allegory, symbolism, and theatrical grandeur. He also designed celebrated tapestries for the Manufacture des Gobelins, including works for the Palais Garnier’s Salon de Glacier.

Among his most famous paintings is Nero and Locusta Experimenting with Poison on a Slave, housed in the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille. His works can be found in major museums across France and internationally, from the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg to the National Fine Arts Museum in Buenos Aires.