Jules Adolphe Aimé Louis Breton was born on May 1, 1827, in the northern French village called Courrières. He studied at the College St. Bertin during his younger years and then continued in 1843 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent. In 1847 he moved to Paris and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. Breton studied under and befriended numerous acclaimed artists for example Félix De Vigne, Hendrik Van der Haert, Michel Martin Drolling, Gustave Brion, and others. He also exhibited at the Paris Salon on numerous occasions, becoming a jury member, as well as being Officer and Commander of the Legion of Honor. He also wrote several publications. He died on July 5, 1906, when he was in Paris.