Jean Beraud (Russian-French, 1849-1935), Pair of Parisian Street Scenes

Each a gouache and pencil on paper for mounting as a fan, signed at the lower right, labeled to the verso, presented in their original fan-shaped giltwood frames.

Frame dimensions of each 16 x 30 in.

From the Collection of Jon and Mary Leadbetter, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Sotheby Parke Bernet, Paris.
19th Century European Paintings, Drawings and Watercolors, Sotheby's, London, October 31, 1996, lot 248.

Russian-born French painter Jean Béraud is best known for his vivid depictions of Parisian life during the Belle Époque. Born in St. Petersburg to French parents while his father worked as a sculptor on St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Béraud returned to Paris with his family after his father’s death. Initially intending to become a lawyer, he abandoned his legal studies following service in the Franco-Prussian War and instead enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under Léon Bonnat.

Béraud came of age during the sweeping urban transformation of Paris under Baron Haussmann. Fascinated by the newly widened boulevards, bustling cafés, theaters, and modern transportation systems, he chronicled the rhythms of contemporary city life and the mingling of social classes. Though academically trained, he loosened his brushwork and incorporated elements of realism and gentle satire, positioning himself between Academic tradition and the emerging Impressionist movement. While he shared friendships and artistic interests with Manet, Degas, and Renoir, he remained rooted in classical technique.

In addition to his celebrated genre scenes, Béraud produced unconventional religious works that placed biblical figures within modern Parisian settings, provoking both controversy and acclaim. He enjoyed consistent success at the Paris Salons and later served on Salon exhibition committees. His paintings are held in major institutions including the Louvre, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Toning to the sheets, one with damp staining, tear, and area of retouch to lower right edge; not examined outside the frames; some age cracking and wear to the frames.