La Rue de Rivoli, at the Tuilleries Gardens

Edouard Cortes, of French and Spanish ancestry, was born in Lagny-sur-Marne, a few miles east of Paris on August 8, 1882. As an adolescent, he became fascinated with the arts and at seventeen began his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The year 1901 marked the artist's first exhibition at the Salon des Artistes Francais. His piece depicting a dramatic Paris street scene at dusk brought him immediate recognition and fame. Later, as an active member of the prestigious Societe des Artistes Francais, Cortes exhibited his works yearly in Paris at the Society's salon as well as at the Salon des Independants, and the Salon d'Hiver. With the tremendous success that his Paris street scenes brought him during his lifetime, Cortes continues to delight art-lovers today and is considered to be one of the greatest masters of French Post-Impressionism.