Jean-François-Pierre Peyron

Oil on canvas, laid on board, unframed. The surface is flattened and dirty. Areas of pigment separation, craquelure, repaired tears and accompanying losses throughout. Minor punctures and/or losses near upper center and at upper left. Scattered retouches throughout have discolored and appear lighter than the rest of the work. Under UV light retouching of us is scattered throughout the work, don't particularly visible along the upper edge, at upper left corner, in the lower left corner, and at lower right corner. The varnish appears to have been selectively cleaned as some of the figures are still covered in a green fluorescing varnish.
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This painting, signed and dated 1811, repeats the composition of Peyron's celebrated work in the Musée des Augustins, Toulouse (inv. RO 195, 93 by 132 cm., signed and dated 1779), which was commissioned along with its pendant, Cornelia, Mother of the Gnocchi, by the abbé François de Bernis, later Archbishop of Rouen.  The works probably traveled to Albi with the abbé de Bernis in March 1782, though the Belisarius was exhibited, with much praise, at Palazzo Mancini in Rome in 1779.  Another version of the composition (possibly the sketch for the Toulouse canvas), is in the National Gallery, London (inv. no. NG6551).¹

The theme of Belisarius, derived from Marmontel's novel 'Bélisaire' (1767), was very popular at the time; Peyron's rival Jacques-Louis David also painted the subject, the same year that Peyron exhibited his version at Palazzo Mancini.  Given the positive reception of Peyron's Toulouse canvases, particularly the Belisarius, it is unsurprising that he would have continued to produce versions of the painting for private patrons throughout his career. 

1. H. Wine, "Two Paintings by Peyron at the National Gallery," Burlington Magazine, vol. 139, no. 1129, April 1997, pp. 248-255.