Edouard Léon Cortès
1882-1969 | French

Boulevard Magenta, Place de la République

Signed “Edouard Cortès” (lower right)
Oil on canvas

Celebrated as the “Parisian Poet of Painting,” Edouard Léon Cortès was a master at capturing the vibrant energy and romantic beauty of the City of Lights. This monumental canvas of the Boulevard Magenta at dusk is illuminated by the warm yellow and orange blaze of lanterns and candlelight. Cortès renders the greys and browns of the buildings and overcast sky with remarkable atmospheric effect. Alive with the bustle of pedestrians and carriages near the famed Place de la République, the street scene epitomizes the luminous and romantic Parisian setting. Through his uncanny ability to portray the very essence of his city, Cortès crafts an enduring epic poem to his love, Paris.

Born just outside of Paris, Cortès enjoyed a rich artistic heritage. His father, Antonio Cortès, was an artist in the circle of the Barbizon school, having moved to France after serving as a painter at the Spanish Royal Court. Cortès' elder brother and sister were also artists and followed the plein air tenets of the Barbizon style alongside their father. Other famed artists flocked to the picturesque town of Langly where Cortès was born, including Maximilian Luce, Camille Pissaro and Lucien Pissarro, among other celebrities of the Impressionist period. Personal friends of the family, these painters would have a profound influence over the young Cortès, who flourished in this richly creative environment.

He exhibited his first work in 1899 at the Société des Artistes Francaise in Paris where he was met with excellent reviews. Capturing the magic of Paris during the Belle Époque, his canvases soon garnered worldwide attention, particularly in Canada and America. Though he painted the same streets time and time again, each work is unique in its narrative, perspective and atmosphere. Just as his Parisian scenes brought him success during his lifetime, they continue to captivate art lovers today.

20th century