Antoine-Laurent Castellan was born at Montpellier in 1772 and died in Paris in 1838. He was a man of letters, but above all a painter, famous for his elegant and picturesque views of the Eastern lands he had visited. He published several souvenirs of his journeys to the Orient, illustrated with his splendid plates: Lettres sur la Morée et les îles de Cérigo, Hydra et Zante; Lettres sur la Grèce, l'Hellespont et Constantinople; Lettres sur la Morée, l'Hellespont et Constantinople. In particular he focused on study of the problems caused by the technique of oil painting, trying to find effective remedies for the breakdown of pigments. He was a celebrated figure in the French art world, a member of the Académie de Beaux-Arts and the board of governors of the museums of Paris. His Lettres sur l'Italie were published in 1819.