Upon graduating, he convinced his parents to let him study art. He began at the
Académie Julian in Paris, where he studied with
Gustave Boulanger,
Jules-Joseph Lefebvre and the history painter,
Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury. Upon completing his work there, he found a position in the studios of
Carolus-Duran. In 1878, his parents moved to Europe; spending some time in Rome, where he paid them a visit and took more painting lessons. Eventually, they would settle in Venice, where they bought the
Palazzo Barbaro, which would become a cultural meeting place. One of their frequent guests was James McNeill Whistler, who would also become Curtis' friend and influence his style. Meanwhile, Curtis opened his own studio in Paris. In 1880, he and Sargent visited the Netherlands to copy the works of
Frans Hals and mingled with the art colony in
Scheveningen. From 1881 through 1893, he was a regular exhibitor at the
Salon and, in 1889, received Honorable Mention at the
Exposition Universelle. He also had showings at the
Royal Academy of Arts, the
Grosvenor Gallery and the
Manchester Art Gallery. He apparently made little money from his paintings and relied on his family's wealth for support. ==Personal life==