The career of the artist George Montbard began as a caricaturist. Napoleon steered the destiny of France and the artist, born under the name of Charles August Loye, expressed his political views in the language of pictures. In the first years, the mouthpiece was the government-critical magazine "La Rue". The artist's drawings took up social differences and social grievances. Contemporaries expressed that the young artist from Burgundy had good prospects for a political career. After the end of the war against Germany, Goerge Montbard joined the Paris Commune. Besides Montbard, Gustave Courbet and André Gill, who formed the artistic core of the movement, also belonged to the circle of the Commune. Paris experienced turbulent times and numerous upheavals. Charles August Loye managed to escape to England and he left Paris for good.

Loye continued to dedicate himself to illustration in England and developed into one of the most versatile illustrators of the 19th century. In addition to drawings and watercolors, he also produced oil paintings. He used the beginnings of photography to create collages from the often blurred photographs. Loye did not see the competition of photography as an attack on traditional illustration. Rather, he used the realistic illustration as a model for his works. The artist set standards in linocut printing and managed to make a name for himself with the preferred media of London society. Collector's albums and illustrated magazines enjoyed great popularity and the illustrator Loye set artistic standards in the production. Together with Vincent van Gogh, Montbard worked as a print artist for the Illustrated London News. Woodcuts accompanied the news events in the weekly magazine. In van Gogh Montbard found an admirer of his skills. Especially the realization of the Irish riots and the impressions of the Irish landscapes brought van Gogh together in a portfolio.

Charles August Loye broke away from pure illustration and expanded his spectrum of motifs. The artist discovered travelling and put his impressions of faraway lands on paper. Especially the landscape and culture of the North African states he captured with great powers of observation. The artist regularly returned to his roots and expressed himself as a caricaturist and satirist. The counterpart were picturesque landscapes, which Loye captured like photographic moments and realized with great artistic talent. Loye succeeded in creating catchy works and thus enables the viewer to enjoy the pure pleasure of art.