Original French Lithograph | Hand-Colored | Published in Paris
A beautifully hand-colored 19th-century French lithograph titled Les Feuilles d’Automne (The Autumn Leaves), based on an original composition by Jules-Marie Desandré. This romantic and poetic image, rooted in the tradition of French Salon art, features two young women in flowing classical dress—one holding a cluster of autumn leaves, the other playing a harp. Together, they evoke the bittersweet passage of time and the changing seasons of life.
Published in Paris by Émile Dardoize and printed by the renowned Imprimerie Becquet, this lithograph exemplifies the superior craftsmanship of mid-19th-century French printmaking. The composition features soft hand-applied color, fine detailing, and the graceful lithographic shading that distinguishes the period’s best work. It is housed in what appears to be its original black wood frame under glass—a true artifact of the era.
Title: Les Feuilles d’Automne (The Autumn Leaves)
Artist (after): Jules-Marie Desandré
Lithographers: Régnier & Bettannier
Printer: Imprimerie Becquet, 37 rue des Noyers, Paris
Publisher: Émile Dardoize, 12 rue de l’Éperon, Paris
Medium: Hand-colored lithograph on paper
Technique: Lithographie en couleurs
Date: Circa 1860s
Frame Dimensions: 27.5 ''x 21 ''
Condition: Age-toned with visible wear to the sheet and edges, including spotting and water stains (please see photos). The original frame shows signs of age but remains structurally sound.
Jules-Marie Desandré was a 19th-century French painter, watercolorist, and illustrator noted for poetic, romanticized scenes and genre subjects. His delicate and lyrical style made him a favored source for decorative lithographs that reflected the mood and spirit of his era.
Imprimerie Becquet, operated by the Becquet brothers, was among the leading Parisian lithographic studios of the mid-19th century. Active from the 1830s through the 1870s, their press at 37 rue des Noyers produced finely executed chromolithographs, many of which are now held in major museum collections such as the British Museum.
Émile Dardoize (1826–1901) was a prolific French painter, lithographer, and print publisher. A self-taught artist with a passion for the natural world, Dardoize founded his print publishing house in the 1850s at 12 rue de l’Éperon, Paris. He exhibited at the Paris Salon for over fifty years and received medals at the Expositions Universelles of 1878 and 1889. His landscapes and romantic compositions were shaped by a fiercely independent artistic vision rooted in observation and emotion.
This lithograph is not only a decorative artwork but also a poignant reflection of 19th-century Romanticism. Its title, Les Feuilles d’Automne, echoes the literary world of Victor Hugo, particularly his 1831 poetry collection of the same name. While this image is not a direct illustration from Hugo’s book, the thematic resonance is undeniable: love, memory, melancholy, and the passing of time are central to both the poet’s verses and this artwork’s imagery.
"Les feuilles qu’on foule à nos pieds / Dans la forêt, comme elles tombent, / Ainsi tombent les jours passés."
(The leaves we tread beneath our feet / Fall in the forest— / So fall the days gone by.) — Victor Hugo
The harpist and the leaf-bearer form a kind of silent elegy—an image that feels like a poetic meditation rendered in color and line rather than in words. It captures the essence of a time when literature and visual art were deeply entwined, each reinforcing the sentiments of the other.
Carefully packed with full insurance and tracking for secure delivery.
Local pickup available upon request .
Please don’t hesitate to message with any questions or for additional photos!
Original French Lithograph | Hand-Colored | Published in Paris
A beautifully hand-colored 19th-century French lithograph titled Les Feuilles d’Automne (The Autumn Leaves), based on an original composition by Jules-Marie Desandré. This romantic and poetic image, rooted in the tradition of French Salon art, features two young women in flowing classical dress—one holding a cluster of autumn leaves, the other playing a harp. Together, they evoke the bittersweet passage of time and the changing seasons of life.
Published in Paris by Émile Dardoize and printed by the renowned Imprimerie Becquet, this lithograph exemplifies the superior craftsmanship of mid-19th-century French printmaking. The composition features soft hand-applied color, fine detailing, and the graceful lithographic shading that distinguishes the period’s best work. It is housed in what appears to be its original black wood frame under glass—a true artifact of the era.
Title: Les Feuilles d’Automne (The Autumn Leaves)
Artist (after): Jules-Marie Desandré
Lithographers: Régnier & Bettannier
Printer: Imprimerie Becquet, 37 rue des Noyers, Paris
Publisher: Émile Dardoize, 12 rue de l’Éperon, Paris
Medium: Hand-colored lithograph on paper
Technique: Lithographie en couleurs
Date: Circa 1860s
Frame Dimensions: 27.5 ''x 21 ''
Condition: Age-toned with visible wear to the sheet and edges, including spotting and water stains (please see photos). The original frame shows signs of age but remains structurally sound.
Jules-Marie Desandré was a 19th-century French painter, watercolorist, and illustrator noted for poetic, romanticized scenes and genre subjects. His delicate and lyrical style made him a favored source for decorative lithographs that reflected the mood and spirit of his era.
Imprimerie Becquet, operated by the Becquet brothers, was among the leading Parisian lithographic studios of the mid-19th century. Active from the 1830s through the 1870s, their press at 37 rue des Noyers produced finely executed chromolithographs, many of which are now held in major museum collections such as the British Museum.
Émile Dardoize (1826–1901) was a prolific French painter, lithographer, and print publisher. A self-taught artist with a passion for the natural world, Dardoize founded his print publishing house in the 1850s at 12 rue de l’Éperon, Paris. He exhibited at the Paris Salon for over fifty years and received medals at the Expositions Universelles of 1878 and 1889. His landscapes and romantic compositions were shaped by a fiercely independent artistic vision rooted in observation and emotion.
This lithograph is not only a decorative artwork but also a poignant reflection of 19th-century Romanticism. Its title, Les Feuilles d’Automne, echoes the literary world of Victor Hugo, particularly his 1831 poetry collection of the same name. While this image is not a direct illustration from Hugo’s book, the thematic resonance is undeniable: love, memory, melancholy, and the passing of time are central to both the poet’s verses and this artwork’s imagery.
"Les feuilles qu’on foule à nos pieds / Dans la forêt, comme elles tombent, / Ainsi tombent les jours passés."
(The leaves we tread beneath our feet / Fall in the forest— / So fall the days gone by.) — Victor Hugo
The harpist and the leaf-bearer form a kind of silent elegy—an image that feels like a poetic meditation rendered in color and line rather than in words. It captures the essence of a time when literature and visual art were deeply entwined, each reinforcing the sentiments of the other.
Carefully packed with full insurance and tracking for secure delivery.
Local pickup available upon request .
Please don’t hesitate to message with any questions or for additional photos!
