Born into a bourgeois family of Belgian descent who established a sugar beet factory, Henri Joseph Harpignies became seriously interested in painting during an extended trip through France in 1838. However, he first worked as a sales agent until 1848, when he entered the studio of landscape painter <a href=" https://findartvalue.com/artist/jean-alexis-achard-1807">Jean-Alexis Achard</a> (1807-1884