Leon Perrault received his formal training under the tutelage of Francois Edouard Picot (1786 1868) and William A. Bouguereau (1825 1905). Like his professors, Perrault continued the "...tradition of academic classicism down to the end of the 19th century."1 These Classical (or better known as Neoclassical) artists "... aimed at 'noble simplicity and calm grandeur'; composition was often derived from classical reliefs and vase painting, figures idealized as in antique sculpture, while colour was considered less important than line and modelling." 2 Perrault made his debut at the French Salon in 1861 and continued to send works to the Salon, for exhibition, throughout his lifetime. He also exhibited in Vienna, London and Philadelphia and won numerous medals. His works were well received by the public and he was offered many commissions including one from the Hotel de Ville in Poitiers. Today examples of Perrault's work can be seen in the museums of Bordeaux, Poitiers, La Rochelle and Stuttgart. 1. Norman, Geraldine; Nineteenth Century Painters and Painting: A Dictionary; University of California Press, 1977. 2. Ibid.