Contact gallery for price		Edouard Léon Cortes French, 1882 – 1969 Rue Royale-Concorde Oil on canvas 13 x 18 inches (33 x 46 cm) Signed lower right: Edouard Cortes Provenance: Private collection, Florida This work is accompanied by a certificate of expertise and authenticity from Dr. David Klein. Édouard Cortès was born in Lagny, France on April 26, 1882.  He was the son of Antonio Cortès, the Spanish court painter, who was himself the son of the painter, André Cortès.  He attended a private elementary school until age thirteen.  Thereafter, he devoted himself to painting, working and studying with his father and older brother.  In 1899, at the age of 17, he began his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and exhibited his first work at the Société des Artistes Français entitled La Labour.  The work was well received by the critics and the public.  The year 1901 marked the artist’s first exhibition at the Salon des Artistes Francais.  One of his works, a dramatic Paris street scene at dusk brought him immediate fame. Later, as an active member of the prestigious Societe des Artistes Francais, he exhibited his works yearly in Paris at the Society’s salon as well as at the Salon des Independants, and the Salon de l’Hiver. It was at the turn of the Nineteenth century that Cortes began to paint the scenes that he would become most famous for: Paris’ streets and monuments.  Views of Paris, or as it became known “the city of lights”, were in great demand by both collectors and tourists and he, along with other artists such as Eugene Galien-Laloue (1854-1941), Luigi Loir (1845-1916), and Jean Beraud (1849-1936), captured the city during its heyday and continued with these scenes well into the 20th century. His poetic Parisian scenes are often imbued with nostalgia for a belle-epoque France. Even into the 1950's he often painted horse drawn omnibuses and fashions preceding 1920, commenting that, at least in his paintings, he wished to stop history in 1939 before the second World War. The window he provides into this earlier period of Parisian life offers the viewer a visual history of France. Cortes’ views of Paris are amongst the most telling and beautiful images of this genre and continue to delight art-lovers today.  His paintings express the romance, energy, and charm of old Paris through his masterly application of bold brush strokes and intriguing colors.  In our painting, he brings together an array of tones ranging from soft gray hues and ambers highlighted by vivid reds and greens. The ground is still wet from the rain, creating glimmering shadows on the street. Despite the rainy weather, the street is bustling with life and energy.  The viewer cannot help but marvel at the overall effect of the artist’s composition, shadowy forms, dimly seen through the wet atmosphere with brilliant dashes of color. This work is an exceptional example displaying his profound knowledge of perspective and composition and is full of delightful details such as the play of lights on wet pavement and shadows on streets.