Museum Paper

     L’Ecole militaire, Paris by Luigi Loir was created between 1875-1915 sometime at the L Ecole militaire(Military School in Paris).  The oil painting is 20 in x 29 and is located at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock AR.  Luigi Loir was considered the landscape artist of Paris.  Loir painted everyday street scenes in Paris.  Loir was born in Austria and his parents where French.  His family was part of the Royal family the Bourbons.  Around the 1860s his family had to return home to France.  Loir remained in Austria and studied at the Academy of Arts.  After three years his father was ill so he moved to Paris to be with his father and family.  This was Loir’s first time being in Paris when he moved back.  Once Loir was in Paris he found Jean Pastelot who became his art teacher.  Pastelot was an artist who concentrated the majority of his work on landscape type art work. Loir took after Pastelot by starting to focus his work on figures and landscape.  During this time during the 1850’s the streets in Paris were filled with activity everywhere.  Loir began studying these streets and its excitement.  As he began to paint the city landscapes he focused his attention on the light in the paintings.  Whether it was a sunset in the street, snow scene, or just the different times during the day when the light hits the streets.  

     Loir soon became a salon artist.  From this moment on he began to paint not only the landscape but the inhabitants on the landscape.  During this time he began to enter his paintings into contests where he was rewarded with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.  His paintings began to be sold to museums and other well known individuals in Paris.  During Loir’s time as his paintings were displayed in museums like New York, Musee d Auxerre, Musee de Nantes, and Musee du Luxembourg in Paris.  

     Loir also became known for his advertisement paintings, book and music illustrations, and his theatrical art.  Loir along with a few other painters revolutionized the art of the poster.  Loir stayed active in painting until the very end of his life.  1914 was when his last paintings were exhibited.  In 1916 he died.  Loir’s influence could be seen in paintings in the mid-twentieth- century.

     As for the painting, imagine yourself in Paris in the 19th century.  And you find the L Ecole Military School in Paris.  As you walk out into the edge of this large beautiful street/square you stop and sit down on a bench and just take it all in.  On your right running all the way down the right side of the street/square is the L Ecole Military School.  The school looks like it is around 50 ft high and looks like it is made out of concrete.  There are giant windows stacked two high running down the length of the school giving those inside a view of the street/square.  About half way down the length of the school a large portion of the school is sticking out giving an impression that maybe this is the entrance to the school.  It is the same height as the rest of the school except that there is a large maybe 30 ft dome on the top of the section sticking out.  Because of this portion sticking out you are unable to see the other half of the school running the entire length of the street/square.  Above the school is a light blue sky with cotton balls as clouds.  It is a beautiful day outside.  The street/square is made of bricks.  There is a walk way/median that is smooth like concrete that runs down the middle of the street/square.  The street/square is scattered with people going about their business as if you are not there.  There is a set of buildings at the end of the street/square on the left but unable to tell exactly what they are used for cause they are all the way at the end of the street/square.  About 30 yds in front of you there is street lamp that is black and about 12 ft high with a Paris style look to it.  Next to the lamp is a lady dressed in black pushing a stroller towards you.  To her right is a white horse pulling a cart behind it.  Behind the horse and the lady there are many more people walking and others are admiring the L Ecole Military School.  The painting represents an everyday look into the daily life in the square in front of the L Ecole militaire.