Luigi Loir

Didier Aaron, London
Purchased from the above by the present owner in 1983

The canvas has been relined. There is a fine pattern of craquelure, primarily in the sky, however this is not visually distracting. Under ultra-violet light there are signs of green fluorescence which make the surface difficult to read in places, and some scattered signs of retouching are visible, which are minor given the overall size of the work, notably strengthening in the building of the Palais du Chaillot, a line of restoration in the sky to the upper-left of this, and some other scattered strokes. The work is otherwise in good overall condition and ready to hang. The colours in reality have less of a gold-yellow cast in the original than in the catalogue illustration. Presented in a decorative gilt frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This spectacular panorama of the Paris Exposition universelle is without a doubt one of the most remarkable, monumental, works by Luigi Loir and a salient exponent of what much late nineteenth-century French art represented: the modernity, innovation, and glamour of the Belle époque. The world’s industrial and technological innovations had been celebrated at the previous World's Fairs, in London in 1851, and in Paris in 1867 and 1889, but never on the scale of the 1900 Exposition - with over 200 pavilions built on about 277 acres of land. Paris's epithet, the City of Light (or Ville Lumière), never held more true than when it played host to this international event.

Loir's vantage point is the Pont Alexandre III bridge looking west towards the Eiffel Tower in the distance. On the left rise the domes of two of the foreign pavilions -probably representing Greece and Serbia - flank the left bank of the Seine with the Pont de l'Alma beyond. On the right in the distance, the twin towers of the Palais du Trocadéro reach skyward into the dusk. The tourist guide, L’Exposition 1900, Renseignements pratiques sur Paris et l’Exposition, one of the many pamphlets published for the occasion, provides an insight into how the city must have appeared to those visiting: ‘the 1900 exposition is completely different from the previous ones […] this year, the infinite shades of colours and the fascinating extravaganza which one finds everywhere, constitute a true pleasure for the eyes. The first time one is able to capture the totality of the exposition, from any of the bridges, one has the illusion of a stunning new city created by a fairy in the centre of Paris’.

Winner of the gold medal at the 1889 Exposition universelle, Loir exhibited regularly at the Salon and received numerous awards including the Chevalier de la légion d’honneur in 1898. Loir was also commissioned to design the cover for the official guide to the 1900 Exposition universelle (fig. 1).