Gaston La Touche was born in Saint-Cloud in the western suburbs of Paris in 1854. Painter, engraver, illustrator and sculptor, he studied under a local instructor and in 1875 exhibited works including several etchings at the Salon. 1877-79 made the acquaintance of Degas and Manet and was introduced to Zola whose works he was to illustrate later. In 1881 his first paintings were shown at the Salon and in that year he became friends with Bracquemond. His first major success at the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Exhibited Exposition Universelle Paris 1889 and in 1908 a retrospective exhibition was held at the Gallery Georges Petit showing over 300 works.