Loiseau was born in Paris in 1865, where he grew up and studied at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs. When he was 25 he moved to Pont-Aven in Bretagne to work with Gauguin and other members of the Pont Aven School. During Loiseau's time in Pont Aven, he also met and became close with two other post-impressionists, Maxime Maufra and Emile Bernard. The time he spent with these artists led Loiseau to a stronger structure and freer brushstroke in his subsequent work. In addition to Gauguin's style of cloissonism, one can also see the influence of Pissarro and the pointillism of Seurat in Loiseau's technique.

Loiseau was a great traveler whose paintings are very diverse; his oeuvre includes landscapes, marines, flowers, and still-lifes, amongst other subjects. From 1893 Loiseau exhibited in Paris at the Salon des Independants and at the Salon de la Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts from 1895. Between 1890 and 1896 he regularly exhibited at the Post Impressionist shows.

L'Arc de Triomphe showcases Loiseau's signature brushwork and a unique but instantly recognizable composition of the Arc de Triomphe. From the artist's vantage point, we see Napoleon's iconic landmark, the famous boulevard, and rows of beautiful Parisian buildings. In this winter setting, Loiseau uses blues, cool mauves, and multiple hues of white to capture the flurry of snow in Paris. Painted in the later years of Loiseau's career, this painting also features many of Loiseau's techniques - cross-hatching lines, smaller Pointillist dots, as well as longer, more defined brushstrokes, each one masterfully integrated.