Louis Courtat (1840-1909)
[L. Courtat]

Pupil of:

Alexandre Cabanel

The odalisque in Louis Courtat's picture is dreaming away a drowsy day, lulled by the monotonous melody of the Turkish mandolin with whose strings her slave girl toys with listless fingers. The artist was born in Paris in 1847. He was a pupil of Cabanel, and with his first exhibit at the Salon, in 1873, won his first medal. In each of the two succeeding years he took other medals which placed him in the position known at the French exhibitions as being hors concours, or out of competition for any medals except that known as the medal of honor. In 1878 another honor fell to Courtat in the purchase by the State of his picture "Spring" which is now in the collection of the Luxembourg. "The Odalisque" was his Salon picture for 1882.

Previous Artist        Next Artist