After training to become a porcelain painter at Sèvres, Troyon became interested in 17th century Dutch landscape painting, particularly the work of Jacob van Ruisdael, and subsequently became a member of the Barbizon School. After becoming Chevalier de le Légion d'honneur in 1849, his work shifted from landscapes to the painting of animals, often with laborers. His later landscapes of Normady were an influence on the Impressionists.