Eugene Galien-Laloue (French, 1854 to 1941)
Born of French/Italian parents in Montmartre, Galien-Laloue worked most of his life in his beloved Paris. He had no formal art training; his father was a set designer for a local theater, and it is believed that the elder man taught his son the rudiments of drawing and painting. Known for his captivating and vibrant street scenes of turn of the century Paris, Galien-Laloue initially began his artistic career as an illustrator for the French Railway lines. In 1874, the Railway was expanding its network of stations to areas outside of Paris, and wanted documentation of the progress. This was unusual training for an artist, but one that Galien- Lalou used to his advantage. His later gouaches and oils have a spontaneous feel to them; he used the plein-air technique he had acquired while working for the Railway to capture moments in the life of the city.
Early in his career Galien-Laloue adopted several pseudonyms to legally circumvent an exclusive contract he had with an influential gallery; to ensure a steady income, he had contracts with several dealers and galleries at any given time. The assumed name J. Lieven – was taken from a soldier Galien-Lalou had encountered during the Franco-Prussian War. Galien-Laloue had his first exhibition in 1876 at the Museum of Reims and the following year he debuted at the Salon des Artistes Francais. He continued to paint and exhibit until 1940 when he seriously injured his arm. He died in 1941 in Cherence.
Information courtesy of Neal Auction Company, May 2008.