Émile Charles Joseph Loubon was born on January 12, 1809, in Aix-en-Provence. The son of a wealthy merchant, he studied drawing under Jean-Antoine Constantin, François Marius Granet, and Louis Mathurin Clérian, the latter having the greatest influence on him. In 1829, Granet invited him to Rome for a study trip, where he excelled in outdoor drawing and decided to devote himself to painting. In Paris, he met Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps and Camille Roqueplan, whose students he became.
Loubon won his first medal at the 1833 Salon and, in 1843, received a commission from the Ministry of the Interior to produce “The Panorama of Martigues.” Returning to Aix in 1845, he was appointed director of the École Pratique de Dessin de Marseille, where he encouraged a natural approach to live models. In 1846, he founded the first salon of the Cercle des amis des arts, exhibiting works by renowned artists, and in 1849, he traveled to the Orient to enrich his subjects.
In 1853, he presented three paintings at the Paris Salon, including “View of Marseille taken from the Aygalades.” Despite his talent, he suffered from illness and a certain resentment towards his contemporaries. Émile Loubon died on May 3, 1863, of intestinal cancer and was buried in the Saint-Pierre cemetery in Marseille, where a column decorated with a bust commemorates him.
