The Artistic Evolution of Edmond Leroy Edmond Leroy was a French painter and drawing teacher born in Chartres. His formal training began at the École des beaux-arts in Paris, where he studied under Alexandre Cabanel and later Luigi Loir. His early career was defined by a focus on portraiture, a pursuit that began around 1885. During this period, he moved away from conventional, codified representations of the bourgeoisie, choosing instead to create intimate portraits that emphasized the character and temperament of his subjects. These works often utilized a sober palette with dark, neutral ba…