Louis Lottier (1807–1892) - View Of Cairo, Egypt - Oil

Louis Jean LOTTIER
(La Haye-du-Puits, 1807– Mont-Saint-Père, 1892) 

View of Cairo, Egypt 

Oil on cardboard
Annotated on the back: Offeredby L. Lottier / to Mr. Ch. Ginoux / 1852 / View of Cairo
22.5 x 28 cm withoutframe
30.5 x 36.5 cm withframe
c. 1846-47 

The only son of Louis Lottier, a glazier, and RosalieDelalande, a merchant, Louis Lottier was born on the Cotentin Peninsula in LaHaye-du-Puits on November 19, 1807. His modest background did not prevent himfrom joining the civil service at the age of sixteen, where he began his careerwhile devoting his leisure time to painting small landscapes and seascapes. While untethered at the time, his smallcanvases caught the attention of Gudin, who recognized in them an artist on therise. Thus,in order to develop his natural talents, Gudin had him embarked in 1839 at theexpense of the State as a painter on the frigate "Belle-Poule"commanded by the Prince de Joinville, which allowed him, by traveling thecoasts of the Mediterranean, to create a specialty in painting and to become adistinguished orientalist. Having then abandoned his job at the Ponts-et-Chausséesto devote himself exclusively to painting seascapes and landscapes, he madeseveral trips to the Levant and the South of France. He made his debut at the Paris Salon in1839, with a "View of Caen" and a seascape entitled"Sunset". After leaving the "Belle-Poule", he wasentrusted with an artistic mission to Egypt in 1846-1847, from where hereturned with several paintings and numerous studies painted on site. Our painting is most likely one ofthem... Based on these studies, he regularly exhibited his paintings at theParis Salon until 1888, including one in 1850 entitled "View of the Cityof Cairo." It is highly likely that our oil on cardboard is a preparatorysketch. He wassubsequently awarded a third-class naval medal in 1852. He also sent variousworks to provincial salons such as Lyon, Rouen, and Marseille. Louis Lottierretired in the last years of his life to Mont-Saint-Père in the Aisnedepartment, where he died on August 9, 1892, at the age of 84.  

Museums:Rouen, Le Havre, Avignon, Perpignan, Le Mans, Chaumont (View of Cairo),Châteauroux, Paris (Petit-Palais), etc.  

The back mentions the donation by Louis Lottier of hisstudy to Mr. Ch. Ginoux in 1852. It is in fact the Toulon painter Charles Ginoux (Toulon1817 – Toulon, 1900) who was a student of Vincent Courdouan (1810-1893) forpainting as well as Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874) for sculpture. A student at the École des Beaux-Artsin Paris, Ginoux exhibited both paintings and sculptures at the Salon from 1844to 1869, for which he received several awards. He was also a drawing teacher in his hometown, where hedied on January 10, 1900.