Eugene Galien-Laloue (1854-1941)

Eugene Galien-Laloue is considered to be one of the foremost Parisian street scene masters in the field of impressionism. For over five decades his art has dominated those of his contemporaries in both quality and price. His paintings stand as a landmark in art history.

Born in Paris, France in December 1854 to French-Italian parents, with the name Eugene Galiany. He later changed it as a tribute to his teacher Charles Laloue whom he studied with in 1877. He received his first training as an architect which helped Galien-Laloue with popularizing the subject matter of Paris street scenes and his very natural rural landscapes.

Since the camera could not accurately record motion, and perceived only black and white, Laloue's paintings were in a sense picture postcards for the public, and they were highly prized by both tourists and the townspeople. His attention to detail accuracy of perception, reproduction of architecture, clearly set him above other street scene painters.

The country of France also selected Laloue to work as a military illustrator, capturing both the Franco-Prussian and the WW I in watercolor. These very rare paintings exhibit Eugene Galien-Laloue's true genius. Laloue rendered the uncompromising beauty of life in France, depicting popular monuments, structures, villages and Harbors recognized throughout Europe.

Preferring the medium of gouache for the great body of his work, although there are several oil paintings and watercolors recorded, his pieces took on a painterly quality that few have come to perfecting. Today Galien-Laloue's gouaches are treasured as artistic jewels. He is listed in the Benezit, Vol. 4 pg. 589.