Paul Seignac was born in Bordeaux on February 12,1826. He became a pupil of Edouard Picot (1786 1868) in Paris, a history painter who executed a number of commissions in churches in Paris. Seignac followed a different path specializing in genre paintings depicting children and rural life. This was a popular genre throughout Europe in the nineteenth century, compatriots included Simon Cabaillot (1810 1885) known as Louis Lasalle, Theophile Emmanuel Duverger (1821 1895) and Pierre Edouard Frere (1819 1886); in England artists such as William Bromley and Thomas Webster specialized in this field.

Many of Seignac's works show children in endearing, if unlikely roles, "The History Lesson", "A Willing Helper", "Hard at Work", achieving an almost didactic quality. In others, children might be reprimanded for some slight misdemeanor, but all are calculated to appeal to maternal and paternal feelings.

Seignac also painted rural life, outdoor scenes set in country villages, depicting charming scenes of everyday life. These works, picturesque as they are, show the germ of social realism propagated by Jules Bastien Lepage (1848 1884) and Jean Francois Millet (1814 1875) whose works enjoyed huge popularity in the latter half of the century. Seignac exhibited at the Paris Salon, making his debut in 1849, and receiving an honorable mention in 1889. His works were, and remain, popular with collectors in France, (he was represented by Galerie des Artistes Moderne in Paris in his lifetime), England and the United States.

His works can be found in museums in Ajaccio Corsica, and Reims.