Galien-Laloue, Eugène

Born in Paris in December of 1854 to French-Italian parents, Eugene Galien-Laloue is recognized as one of the top masters of French impressionist street scenes.

Beginning in 1877, he was a student of Charles Laloue, who was a long-time member of the Artistes Francais (a prestigious French art association). Gifted beyond measure, Galien-Laloue became well known at the turn of the century for capturing the very ambiance of Paris on his canvas. He made his exhibiting debut at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1877 and continued to show his works there with great success throughout his life.

During the early part of his career as an artist, Galien-Laloue took on several pseudonyms because of an exclusive contract with a major gallery. These pseudonyms included L. Dupuy, J. Lievin, Lenoir and E. Galiany, all of which are listed in the E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs and the Galien-Laloue Catalogue.

Working in gouache with light, delicate strokes, Galien-Laloue had the uncanny ability to give the illusion of detail in an Impressionistic style. Well known in France, his paintings of the early 1900s accurately represent the era in which he lived – Paris’ happy, bustling days of horse-drawn carriages, trolley cars, and its first omnibuses.

In addition, the artist’s landscapes of Normandy and Seine-et-Marne are highly esteemed, as well as the military scenes he produced in 1914. Indeed, Galien-Laloue’s works are valued not only for their contribution to 20th century art, but also for the actual history, which they document.

A forerunner in popularizing the painting of street scenes, Galien-Laloue has inspired and influenced many of yesterday’s and today’s artists, including renowned French Impressionists Edouard Cortes and Antoine Blanchard.