French, 1845-1916

Luigi Loir was born in Austria of French parentage. After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Parma, he went to Paris in 1863 to work in the studio of the painter and decorator Pastelet. Two years later he sent a landscape, Paysage a Villiers-sur-Seine, to the Salon where it was well received.

In 1870, Loir distinguished himself in the military campaign of Le Bourget. For the rest of his career he was to concentrate on the Paris stree scenes, with which he established his reputation. He exhibited regularly at the Societe des Artistes Francais and was awarded medals in 1879 and 1889. In 1898 he received the Legion d’honneur.