Charles Frederic Joseph Soulacroix was born in Montpellier in 1825. He studied under the artists Ramy, Cornelius and Dumont. In 1845, Soulacroix entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and began showing his works at the Paris Salon in 1849.

Soulacroix painted a number of history paintings on a chivalric theme. He is best known for his scenes of eighteenth century costumed figures indulging in romantic pursuits under such titles as The Serenade and Adieu. Soulacroix also painted the occasional neo-classical piece, portraying the female nude in elegant poses. However, heseems to have specialized mainly in portraying the activities of his wealthy contemporaries. Soulacroix’s greatest gifts lay in the art of reproducing the textures of silk and satin which clothed his elegant figures and decorated his lavish interiors. Soulacroix’s paintings record superbly the lives of the more affluent French families, playing hide and seek, flirting, courting, playing with their pets or making their début at a ball.

The work of Charles Frederic Joseph Soulacroix is represented in Museum of Fine Arts, Philadelphia and the Lord Mayor's Collection at the Mansion House, London.