The young artist was greatly influenced by his father and other famous artists who flocked to the picturesque town of Langly where Cortès was born. Raised in a prolific artistic environment, Cortès was an avid student of both his father, French painter Antonio Cortès and his older brother, Andre. Though he painted the same streets time and time again, each work is unique in its narrative and perspective, each mindful of the changes brought by the seasons and progress, yet each enchantingly nostalgic. ![]() ![]() Dashes of color splashed against a haunting foggy backdrop, sunlight peaking through the shadows of a crisp fall day or dimly lit streets alive with the bustle of Saturday evening revelers, these were the images of Cortès' Paris. Unlike many artists who painted the very same boulevards, Cortès possessed the uncanny ability to portray the very essence of his beloved city in all of her moods. Cortès began painting his famous Parisian street scenes in 1901 and was largely responsible for immortalizing a period in Paris when fashion, art, culture and nightlife flourished with a boundless passion and exuberance. Dubbed the “Parisian Poet of Painting,” Cortès devoted most of his life to capturing the vibrant energy and beauty of The City of Lights during a glorious time in the city's history. One of Paris' most grand boulevards, the Boulevard de la Madeleine is the subject of this eloquent composition by the unmistakable Édouard Leon Cortès. If my paintings please those who view them, and if they give a feeling of place and moments, or awaken a curiosity about the history of a monument or a place then I am fully satisfied with my success.” –Édouard Leon Cortès ![]() “I had the good fortune to inherit some talent, and also to have been taught by my father.
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