Édouard Leon Cortès (1882-1969), of french and spanish ancestry, was born in Lagny-sur-Marne, a few miles east of Paris.
As an adolescent, he became fascinated with the arts and at seventeen began his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
The year 1901 marked the artist's first exhibition at the Salon des Artistes Francais.
His piece depicting a dramatic Paris street scene at dusk brought him immediate recognition and fame.