Pierre Auguste Cot was a French painter of the Academic Classicism school. He was born in Bédarieux, and initially studied at l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse before going to Paris. From the 1870s, his popularity grew quickly. In 1874 he was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. He created several works of lasting popularity, including Springtime, featuring two young lovers sitting upon a swing, and The Storm.