Plassan was born on September 29, 1817 in Bordeaux, France. He died in Paris on February 2, 1903.

Acclaimed as an outstanding 19th century painter of portraits, landscapes and genre, Antonine Emile Plassan participated in numerous exhibitions both in Europe and in the United States. He exhibited in the Paris Salon beginning in 1846 and was awarded third place medals in 1852, 1857, and 1859. He received the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1859. Throughout the 1870's he is mentioned in salon showings in Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD, New York and Brussels .

Works by Plassan can be found in numerous collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Learmont Museum in Montreal, and the Reims Museum .