Tony Robert-Fleury was the son of Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury, and a pupil of Paul Delaroche and Léon Cogniet. He first exhibited in Paris at the Salon in 1864, receiving medals in 1866 and 1867 and a medal of honour in 1870. He was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1873 and received a medal of honour in 1878 for the Exposition Universelle. He continued to exhibit at the Salon, known by then as Salon des Artistes Français, of which he became a member in 1882. In 1884, he was made an Officier de la Légion d'Honneur. He won a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in 1889 and in 1900 became a jury member and was declared hors-concours, able to show his work without jury approval, at the Exposition Universelle. In 1907 he was made Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur.

For many years he taught at the Académie Julian in Paris, where he had a great many pupils. His considerable official career brought him honours, purchases and commissions. He painted mural compositions in the Palais du Luxembourg, and the Hôtel de Ville in Paris.

Museum and Gallery Holdings

Arras: Leda
Bayonne (Mus. Bonnat): Young Roman Girl; Charlotte Corday
Belfort: Vauban Drawing the Plans for Belfort Fortress
La Roche-sur-Yon: Romeo and Juliet
Mulhouse: Leda
Munich: At Home
New York (Metropolitan Mus. of Art): Cardinal Playing the Cello
Paris (Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière): Pinel Liberating the Insane from their Chains
Paris (Hôtel-Dieu): Portrait of Doctor Grisolle
Paris (Mus. d'Orsay): Last Day of Corinth; Old Women in Place Navona; Anxiety
Tourcoing: Search during the Terror