Edouard Cortes: Master Parisian Streetscape Painter

Few artists could paint such a compelling Parisian street scent as Edouard Cortes. Painting from the turn of the century well into the mid 20th century, Cortes witnessed great changes in Paris through the Belle Epoque, the Great War, the international depression, the Second World War and beyond. Much of what Monet did with haystacks, lily ponds and fields in Giverny; Edouard Cortes did for the grand city of Paris. Capturing the changes in light, atmosphere, season and mood; Cortes was internationally known in his day and remains so today, one of the best examples of street-scene painters to have ever graced the Champs-Elysees.

Cortes came from a long line of artisans; the son of a Spanish Court painter and grandson of an artisan, Edouard was immersed in an art-heavy environment early in life, leaving a deep impression on the artist. Edouard’s father originally traveled to Paris from Spain for the Exposition Universelle in 1855, eventually settling permanently in Lagny-sur-Marne (Rehs). Schooled in painting by his father and enrolled in private schools from his birth, Edouard rose above his siblings in his ability in and passion for the visual arts, eventually exhibiting his first work, titled La Labour, at the Societe des Artistes Francais (Rehs). This early success set Cortes on his path to popularity in Paris, the city he would paint for the next 60 years until his death in 1969.

Cortes managed to capture all of the landscapes of Paris in new and interesting manifestations, representing the sights in ways only the Parisians would be familiar with during their regular strolls through the city. Landmarks such as Notre Dame, the Place de Clichy, the Opera, the Quai du Louvre and the Place de la Bastille are rendered during different times of the day, under unique weather conditions and from a multitude of angles, Cortes’ work stands as a testament to the visual variety of a single place. The sale of street paintings is commonplace on European city corners today but the vast majority pale in comparison to those of Edouard Cortes.

Interesting insight into the artist’s work and collectability comes from a recent Antiques Roadshow episode recently aired on PBS and captured in an online transcript. While in Michigan a guest brought a Cortes painting after hearing the name on a previous program. The guest explained to appraiser Alasdair Nichol that the painting had been owned by her grandparents, both artists, who traveled to Paris frequently. Noting that paintings of Cortes are frequently forged because of their near-universal appeal and high value the appraiser noted that one secret to detecting a genuine Cortes painting is locating a pin mark in the middle of the painting that the artist had originally placed there as a point of origin for the perspective.

Spotting this and noting the fine quality of the work, the appraiser was convinced that the work was genuine and stated that at auction the painting could fetch anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 (Nichol). Flabbergasted, the guest broke down into tears of joy, astounded by the value of this beautiful painting.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has been fortunate enough to have appraised works by this artist and enjoys inviting art collectors and owners alike to their Michigan Avenue office for a consultation session. A skilled team of appraisers and researchers on staff welcomes your questions and concerns and urges you to make an appointment to stop by our office to discuss your item. You never know what you have in your collection until you get your work properly appraised, and MIR is a great place to get that done!

Written and Researched by Justin Bergquist

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA, AM
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-8510

Works Cited:
Nichol, Alasdair. “1959 Edouard Cortes Painting,” on Antiques Roadshow website.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200805A14.html
Rehs, Howard. “Edouard Leon Cortes,” on Artrenewal.org
http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artist.php?artistid=190

National Treasure Discovered in Chicago Area Home

Last week an English national treasure was unveiled after having hung in a private collection for over 300 years. What was discovered was a painting of William Shakespeare, which is currently believed to be the only portrait he sat for during his lifetime. However, this is not the only major historical discovery to occur within the last year. In fact, in early fall 2008 an American national treasure was discovered in the private collection of a local family.

MIR Appraisal Services was commissioned in the summer of 2008 to examine the items in an estate located in a Chicago suburb. What we appraised were several wonderful fine art and decorative items. Then we discovered an incredible piece of Americana. It was a hand written copy of America the Beautiful by Katharine Lee Bates (1859 – 1929), penned and signed entirely in Ms. Bates hand. This was a very rare discovery because, although Ms. Bates’ original copy is known to be located at the Falmouth Historical Society, within the last 30 years only one other fully handwritten and signed copy of America the Beautiful has reached the open market.

The first draft of America the Beautiful had been written by Katharine Lee Bates in the summer of 1893 while she was traveling to Chicago for the world’s Columbian Exposition. The poem was then published in The Congregationalist two years later as part of a fourth of July celebration, shortly after which it became hugely popular.

This very unique manuscript had been in the family’s possession for a number of years, along with several other important historical documents. However, the item had remained unexamined by professional eyes and was considered a reproduction, an understandable assumption do to the rarity of authentic handwritten copies of America the Beautiful. The trained eyes of the staff at MIR Appraisal Services were able to recognize that the document was unique and had potential to be something of, not only great monetary value, but also of national value. We were able to authenticate the document through extensive research, and earlier this month it was auctioned by a premier international auction house.

It is always important to contact a professional team of appraisers if you have any questions about documents, decorative items, or fine art items, because, as the last year has shown us, hidden treasures are often lurking in private collections. For more information on appraising your items, or to setup an appraisal appointment with our professional staff of appraisers please call 312.814.8510.