Attribué à Maurice Leloir (1853–1940) - Combat devant une porte fortifiée

Attributed to Maurice Leloir (1853–1940) — Combat Before a Fortified Gate

Medium: Graphite on paper.

Dimensions: 11 cm high × 17.5 cm wide.

Period: 1890–1900.

Signature / monogram: Unsigned / no monogram.

Horsemen and foot soldiers clash between an arcaded façade and a gate flanked by towers. Raised swords and the horses’ diagonal lines animate the composition.

Style: Historical drawing in graphite.

Movement: Academic tradition / late 19th-century French illustration.

Biography of Maurice Leloir
Maurice Leloir (1853–1940) was a French painter, watercolorist, draughtsman, and illustrator. Born into a family of artists, he trained in particular with his mother, Héloïse Colin, and his brother, Louis Leloir. He exhibited at the Salon and took part in the Société des aquarellistes français. From the 1880s onward, he illustrated works by Molière, Marivaux, Rousseau, and Alexandre Dumas. His compositions are distinguished by the care he devoted to costumes, poses, and settings. He specialized in historical reconstruction, particularly in the worlds of the 17th and 18th centuries. A painter of genre and historical scenes, he also worked in advertising and the decorative arts. In 1907, he founded the Société de l’histoire du costume, whose collections would contribute to the establishment of the Musée de la Mode in Paris. In 1928, he worked on the sets and costumes for the film The Iron Mask, starring Douglas Fairbanks. His research led to several publications on the history of costume, establishing him as a leading authority in the field.

The condition of the sheet and its backing is shown in the photographs, which form part of the description.

Artwork sold unframed.

Condition: Good.