(b Grenoble, 14 Jan. 1836; d Buré, Orne, 25 Aug. 1904). French painter and lithographer. He is best known for his luxurious flower pieces, but he produced many other kinds of work, including several group portraits that are important historical documents and show his friendship with leading avant-garde artists and writers. Homage to Delacroix (1864, Mus. d'Orsay, Paris) shows Fantin-Latour himself, with Baudelaire, Manet, Whistler, and others grouped round a portrait of Delacroix; and A Studio at Batignolles (also called Homage to Manet) (1870, Mus. d'Orsay) shows Monet, Renoir, and others in Manet's studio. In spite of his associations with such progressive artists, Fantin-Latour was essentially a traditionalist, and his portraits particularly are in a precise, detailed style.
Text source: The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford University Press)