After training to become a porcelain painter at Sèvres, Troyon became interested in 17th century Dutch landscape painting, particularly the work of <a href=" https://findartvalue.com/artist/jacob-isaackszoon-van-ruisdael">Jacob van Ruisdael</a>, and subsequently became a member of the Barbizon School. After becoming Chevalier de le Légion d'honneur in 1849, his work shifted from landscapes to the