French painter and engraver. Born in France, Tissot fled to London after the Franco-Prussian war, where he painted the life of the upper class. His last 20 years, which he spent in Palestine and France, were dedicated to religious paintings. In his biblical paintings, Tissot sought to reflect the material reality of the ancient Near East, in accordance with the realia that he experienced during his travels in the area. In this, his artwork is very different from the idealized and unrealistic treatment of religious subjects common until his time.