Chassériau, Théodore (1819–1856)

French painter. He was a pupil of Jean Ingres, whose influence is apparent in his finest work in portraiture, The Two Sisters 1843 (Louvre, Paris). A visit to Algeria caused him to turn to Romantic (Oriental and dramatic) themes.

Chassériau was born in Samana, Santo Domingo. He studied under Ingres in Paris, and later studied in Rome. He was influenced by Eugène Delacroix, and managed to combine the neoclassicism of Ingres and the Romanticism of Delacroix in a highly individual way. His Orientalism is a typical facet of the Romanticism of the time.

He did much decorative painting, such as the decorations for the Cour des Comptes in the Palais d'Orsay, Paris, 1844–48, which was partially destroyed by fire during the Commune; surviving panels are preserved in the Louvre.

His reputation now rests largely on his portraits.