Carle Van Loo (or Vanloo) is the most important painter of the van Loo family and was, in the mid 18th century, arguably the most important painter of his generation in Paris. His father Louis died in 1712 and his elder brother Jean-Baptiste took him under his wing. In 1714 they moved to Rome where Vanloo began his apprenticeship with the painter Benedetto Lutti and the sculptor Pierre Legros le jeune. Then in 1719 they moved to Paris and his reputation began to rise. He helped his brother with a great many commissions and won the first prize for drawing while still very young at the Académie Royale followed quickly by the prestigious Prix de Rome.

He eventually returned to Rome after experiencing some financial problems together with his nephews Louis-Michel and François (also painters) and his later rival François Boucher. Apart from a brief stay in Turin he lived largely in Rome until 1733 when he returned to Paris. During this time he painted several important trompe l'oeil frescoes and mythological subjects. He was decorated by the Pope in 1731 in recognition of his work.

After his return to Paris his importance as a painter was becoming increasingly widely appreciated. He was accepted as an Academician in 1735 and was to occupy most of the major positions within the Academy, becoming Director in 1763. He gained many highly important commissions, notably for the royal family and Louis XV. He was appointed 'Premier Peintre du Roi'. A large number of his works can be found at Fontainebleau and Versailles.

Museums where examples of the artist's work can be found include:

Aix, Bordeuax, Boston, Conneticut (Wadsworth Atheneum), Geneva, Glasgow, London (Wallace), Los Angeles (Getty, LACMA), Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, New York (Metropolitan), Orléans, Paris, Potsdam, Quebec, Rome (Doria Pamphili), Rouen, St. Petersburg, San Francisco, Stockholm, Turin, Vienna, Virginia and Washington