François Picot was a student of François Vincent and Jacques-Louis David, both of whom had been students of Joseph-Marie Vien. As a teacher, Picot operated one of the most popular studios in France, adhering to a strict regimen of traditional drawing and painting. His own paintings, consisting primarily of history and genre subjects, were executed with clarity and polish, displaying his skill as a draftsman and storyteller, and garnered praise and awards at the Salon exhibitions. Important commissions kept him busy, supplying expansive frescos for churches throughout France as well as multi-figure compositions for ceilings for the Louvre Museum and the Château at Versailles.