Complex sentence: His first painting at the Academy was "Cadmus killing the dragon at the fountains of Dirce", which was later purchased by the Duke of Orleans but was destroyed in the fire which engulfed the Palais-Royal in the French Revolution of 1848.
Split into simpler sentences: His first painting there was "Cadmus killing the dragon at the fountains of Dirce". It was later purchased by the Duke of Orleans but destroyed in the fire which engulfed the Palais-Royal in the French Revolution of 1848.