This beautiful early 20th-century oil painting by French artist Eugène Galien-Laloue (1854-1941) depicts an autumnal river landscape with a church.Eugène Galien-Laloue is known for his naturalistic plein-air depictions of Normandy and Seine-et-Marne. But he also produced lively Parisian street scenes, which capture the effervescent delights of the bustling Belle Époque era. Born in Montmartre, Paris, to French-Italian parents, he initially sought a career in the military before pursuing his artistic endeavours and, as such, lacked a formal academic background.It seems he was predominantly self-taught and gained valuable early experience during a spell working for the French Railway as an illustrator. Part of his role involved depicting the track between Paris and the provinces, which enabled him to also study the surrounding countryside. Within two years, he was exhibiting his works at the Museum of Reims - he never looked back.Here, in this tranquil view from around 1910, ...