Born in Paris, Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant grew up with aunts in Toulouse after the death of his mother. There, he started to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1866, he moved back to Paris, where he finished his art studies. In the early 1870s, he undertook extensive journeys to explore Spain and Morocco. The paintings and drawings produced during his study travels made Benjamin-Constant an important representative of Orientalism in France. He was also a successful portraitist. In 1896, he was awarded a medal of honour at the Salon de Paris.