Pierre-Auguste Cot (1837 – 1833) was an academic French artist acclaimed for creating lavishly romantic, sensual works. Cot is known for his ethereal historical and mythological paintings, particularly two idealistic classics, “Le Printemps” (“Springtime”) and “The Storm.” Cot was also a highly popular portrait artist among the Parisian aristocracy. He studied at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse under luminaries Leon Cogniet, Alexandre Cabanel, and William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and was strongly influenced by Neoclassicism and Romanticism. One of Cot’s paintings is on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many of his works grace Paris’ Louvre.