Artist Eugene Burnand was born in Mondon, Switzerland in 1850. He worked in the mid-19th century, painting with a great sense of realism which is very evident in his religious works.

Since the majority of mankind had no schooling in the pre-20th centuries and could not read, the printers or old masters of the 15th-19th centuries would paint human stories with their art. These artists would literally tell a story, often with a lesson or deeper meaning hidden in their imagery. Burnand's Les Disciples is an excellent example of this art style.

Eugene Burnand died in Paris, France in 1921.