Dagnan-Bouveret studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1869. In 1876, he was awarded the second place in the Prix de Rome, and the following year, he exhibited at the Salon for the first time. He took part in numerous competitions and exhibitions. Dagnan-Bouveret established himself as a regional painter and depicted naturalistic rural life in Brittany and Franche-Comté. To give his paintings as naturalistic a character as possible, he made preparatory photographs, but also used photography as a medium in its own right. From 1885 onwards, Dagnan-Bouveret increasingly devoted himself to religious themes and displayed these paintings, for instance, at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris, where they attracted interest among American collectors. In later years, he worked mainly as a portraitist, painting politicians, military officers and actors. As early as 1885, Dagnan-Bouveret was a member of the Légion d'Honneur, and in 1891, he was made an officer of the Legion of Honour. He won numerous prizes during his career, including the Grand Prize at the 1900 Universal Exhibition, and he was an honorary member of many art academies throughout Europe.