Évariste Vital Luminais

Who was Évariste Vital Luminais?

Évariste Vital Luminais was a French painter.

Born to Clara and Rene Luminais, he was born into a family of parliamentarians and lawyers. His family, aware of his natural artistic talent, sent him to Paris to study with the painter and sculptor Auguste Debay.

At the age of 18, he put himself under the tutelage of the painter Léon Cogniet. Finally, he joined the workshop of Constant Troyon, painter of landscapes and animals, who would become his true mentor. His official career began at the Paris Salon, where two of his paintings were accepted in 1843. In 1869, he received the Legion of Honor. He scored a success at the Paris Salon of 1884 with the painting Flight of King Gradlon. Other important paintings include The sons of Clovis II and The death of Brunehaut. French artist Albert Maignan was a student of Luminais.

He divided his time between his Paris studio and his house in Douadic in the department of Indre. Luminais died in Paris at age 75. He was buried in the little cemetery in Douadic. His native city of Nantes has a street named for him.