▁He ▁won ▁the ▁Prix ▁de ▁Rome ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁with ▁the ▁painting ▁Death ▁of ▁Tim oph anes . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁November ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁he ▁married ▁the ▁sculpt or ▁Charlotte ▁Dub ray ▁( 1 8 5 4 – 1 9 3 1 ). ▁They ▁would ▁have ▁four ▁children , ▁of ▁whom ▁three ▁were ▁artists . ▁ ▁Until ▁about ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁he ▁followed ▁the ▁academic ▁tradition , ▁but ▁then ▁broke ▁away ▁completely , ▁and ▁devoted ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁colour ▁and ▁light ▁as ▁conce ived ▁by ▁the ▁Im pression ists . ▁The ▁real ism ▁of ▁this ▁group ▁never ▁appe aled ▁to ▁his ▁bold ▁imagination , ▁but ▁he ▁applied ▁their ▁technical ▁method ▁to ▁ide ological ▁and ▁decor ative ▁works ▁on ▁a ▁large ▁scale , ▁such ▁as ▁his ▁fres co es ▁at ▁the ▁Sor bon ne , ▁the ▁E cole ▁de ▁Ph arm ac ie , ▁the ▁ce iling ▁of ▁the ▁Com édie - Fran çaise ▁( main ▁theatre ▁in ▁Paris ), ▁the ▁S alle ▁des ▁Sciences ▁at ▁the ▁H ôtel ▁de ▁Ville , ▁the ▁ma irie ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁arr ondissement , ▁and ▁the ▁chap el ▁of ▁Ber ck ▁hospital , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁painted ▁twelve ▁St ations ▁of ▁the ▁Cross ▁in ▁an ▁entirely ▁modern ▁spirit . ▁ ▁A ▁great ▁virt u oso , ▁he ▁achieved ▁brilliant ▁success es ▁al ike ▁in ▁water col our , ▁past el , ▁oil ▁and ▁et ch ing , ▁both ▁in ▁portrait ure , ▁in