LAURENS,. liVrtiN', JEAN PAUL A French historical painter, born at Fourquevaux (Haute-Garonne). He was a pupil of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts at Toulouse, and then in Paris of Cogniet and Bida. His compositions, depicting for the most part tragic and often gruesome epi sodes. are intensely dramatic in style and spirited in execution, and never fail to produce a deep impression, although their effect is frequently marred by an exaggerated realism and lack of harmonious coloring. Out of their considerable number may be mentioned: "Death of Tiberius" (1864) ; "A Voice in the Desert" (1868, Orleans Museum) : "Execution of the Due d'Enghien" (1872, Alencon Museum) ; "Popes Formotus and Stephen VII." (1872) ; "The Pool of Bethesda" (1873. Toulouse Musemn) ; "Saint Bruno Re fusing the Offerings of Roger, Count of Calabria" (1874, Church of Notre Dame des Champs, Paris) ; "The Interdict" (1875, Havre Museum) ; "Excommunication of King Robert the Pious, 1004" (1875, Luxembourg) ; ''The Austrian Gen eral Staff Around the Deathbed of General Mar ceau" (1877, Ghent Museum), one of his finest works, which received the medal of honor in the Salon; "Release of the Immured at Car cassonne, 1303" (1879, Luxembourg) ; "Ven geance of Pope Urban VT." (1886) ; "Entry
of Louis XVI. into the IhItel de Ville, Paris" (1891) ; and "Napoleon and Pius VII. at Fon tainebleau" (1894). For the Pantheon he paint ed in fresco "Two Scenes from the Life of Saint Genevieve," marked by solemn grandeur and re plete with religious feeling. A portrait of him self (1882) is in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. In 1891 lie was elected a member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts, and president of the Societe des Artistes Francais.