Maurice Legendre Oil Painting Notre Dame Paris Signed French Cityscape 17"x14"

This was probably purchased on a trip to France. We were asked to sell items from an estate. This appears to be an original oil painting, based on the brush strokes. We are not experts on this item. Please don't hesitate to message with any questions, etc.

  • Subject: The artwork depicts the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris as seen from the Quai de Montebello along the Seine. It captures a winter or rainy day, evidenced by the artist's signature "silver-gray" palette and the figures carrying umbrellas.
  • Style: It is executed in a late Impressionist style. Legendre uses thick, textured brushstrokes (impasto) to create a sense of movement in the sky and water, contrasting with the more structured, rhythmic lines of the cathedral's Gothic architecture.
  • The Frame
    • Style: This is a Louis XIV-style or "baroque-inspired" frame. It is much more contemporary than the elaborate 19th-century gesso frames on your other paintings.
    • Features: It features a repeating scalloped or shell-like motif (often called "gadrooning") along the outer edge. The finish is a gold-toned "distressed" metallic, common in the 1960s and 70s, designed to give a vintage look to modern decor.
    • Design Intent: The frame’s inward-sloping "scoop" design acts as a funnel, drawing the viewer's eye directly into the center of the bustling Parisian street scene.