Steuben, a painter born in Thuringia in 1788 and trained in Saint Petersburg, spent his whole career in Paris. Louis-Philippe commissioned from him, for the museum at Versailles, the portraits of the kings and queens of France, a Battle of Poitiers, a Battle of Ivry: here was a German putting France's national story into pictures. He ended his life in Russia, on religious subjects, and died in Paris in 1856.
The story
Born at Bauerbach, in Thuringia, on 18 April 1788, the son of an officer in Russian service, Charles de Steuben was schooled as an artist in Saint Petersburg before coming to Paris.
There he was the pupil of François Gérard, Robert Lefèvre and Prud'hon, and became the long-standing collaborator of Baron Gérard. He exhibited at the official Salon from 1812 to 1843.
Louis-Philippe commissioned from him, for the museum at Versailles, portraits of the kings and queens of France, the Battle of Poitiers in 732 (1837) and the Battle of Ivry: a German painter set to illustrate the French national story.
He also painted The Reader, in the fine arts museum of Nantes, and The Death of Napoleon, kept at Arenenberg castle. He ended his career in Russia, on subjects from the life of Christ.
He died in Paris on 21 November 1856 — the inscription, for its part, cuts the 22nd. He rests in Division 51, on Chemin Cabail, third row, with his wife Anne Éléonore, née Trollé (1788-1869), herself a painter.
The grave
A family tomb beneath the heading “FAMILLE STEUBEN”, whose two inscriptions are written in the old manner, by age rather than by date of birth: “Ici repose Charles baron de STEUBEN, peintre d'histoire, décédé le 22 novembre 1856, à l'âge de 68 ans” — here lies Charles, Baron de Steuben, history painter, died 22 November 1856, aged 68 — he died on 21 November — and “Ici repose Anne Éléonore baronne de STEUBEN, décédée le 29 décembre 1869, à l'âge de 81 ans” — the Baroness, died 29 December 1869, aged 81. She was a painter too, and nothing says so.
On site, do not miss
The inscription gives the age rather than the year of birth — “at the age of 68” — and is a day out on the date of death: it carves 22 November where the notices say the 21st.
Visitors' questions
Where is Charles de Steuben's grave?
In Division 51, chemin Cabail, third row, in a family tomb. His wife Anne Éléonore, a painter herself, rests there. The Division is also home to Pierre Tirard, twice prime minister.
Pierre TirardWhat did Charles de Steuben paint?
History painting, for the most part: the Bataille de Poitiers en 732 — the battle the English call Tours — and portraits of French kings commissioned by Louis-Philippe for the museum at Versailles, but also La Liseuse, a woman reading, now in the museum in Nantes.
Antoine-Jean GrosWhere did Charles de Steuben come from?
From Thuringia, in Germany, where he was born in 1788 to a father serving as an officer in the Russian army. He received his artistic education in St Petersburg, then trained in Paris under François Gérard and Prud'hon.
Pierre-Paul Prud’honIs there a mistake on his grave?
A discrepancy of a single day: the inscription has him “décédé le 22 novembre 1856” — died on 22 November 1856 — where he died on 21 November. The gap is slight, but it is in the stone, like some twenty others at Père-Lachaise.
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