19th Century French Paris Scene Painting “Chez la Modiste” Signed H.V. Lesur

$6,900

About

Decorate a wall or study with this elegant antique Parisian street scene painting. Crafted in France circa 1895, the oil on board composition titled “Chez la Modiste” captures a refined moment of daily life in Belle Époque Paris. The scene is centered on a fashionable young woman in a rose-colored gown, poised mid-step outside a milliner’s boutique, while elegantly dressed gentlemen and passersby animate the lively street behind her.
Executed with a confident academic hand, the composition balances precise figural detail with a softer, atmospheric treatment of the surrounding architecture. The artist skillfully renders light across the cobblestone street and façades, guiding the eye through the composition toward the distant dome, while subtle gestures and expressions bring a sense of narrative and social interaction to the scene. The palette is both warm and luminous, with delicate highlights enhancing the textures of fabric, stone, and foliage.
The painting is set within its original carved giltwood frame, richly decorated with Rococo-inspired scrollwork and floral motifs, and finished with a linen liner that further elevates the presentation. A brass plaque mounted to the liner identifies the work as “Chez la Modiste” by Henri Victor Lesur (1863–1932), adding both clarity and a refined gallery-style detail. The work is signed lower right “V. Henry Lesur,” and retains its original backing with artist documentation affixed to the reverse.
Henri Victor Lesur (1863–1932) was a French painter trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lille and later under François Flameng in Paris. He exhibited at the Salon de Paris and received recognition at the Expositions Universelles of 1889 and 1900. His work is documented in the Bénézit Dictionary of Artists, and he is known for his charming narrative scenes inspired by 18th-century French painting traditions.
The antique painting is in excellent condition commensurate with age and use, and adorns rich color and texture throughout.
Dimensions: 26.75″W x 31.75″H

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