Louis Jiminez

Henry Victor Lesur was born in Roubaix on April 28, 1863. Like many of his contemporaries during the last quarter of the 19th century, Lesur's works took inspiration from scenes of French 18th century life, romance and everyday enjoyment.  His works appear to have also been inspired by the Rococo works by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806) and François Boucher (French, 1703–70). He received his formal training in the atelier of François Flameng - a professor at l'École des Beaux-Arts. Under his tutelage, Lesur received the academic training he needed and developed a love for highlife genre (costume) subjects. From the 1880s–90s, Lesur exhibited at the Paris Salon. Among them were Portrait de M.J. Stirling Dyce (1888), Portrait de M.M. Caplain (1890), Portrait de M. Alfred Loreau, Député du Loiret (1892), Portrait de Mlle and  Wanda de Boncza (1895). It is important to note that most of the works exhibited by Lesur were portraits, when in fact he is best known for his works featuring pretty women and handsome men dressed in 18th century costume conversing in a garden or walking through a public place or flower market. Lesur received a medal at the Salon in 1887 and the Exposition Universelle of 1889–1900.

Rococo was an aesthetic movement in the fine and decorative arts in the 18th century that found its inspiration in nature and fostered an overall lightness and delicacy of form, construction and ornament in interior design. Rococo furniture, while greatly influenced by trends in Italy and Germany, is often called Louis XV style — the movement having reached its best expression during that sybaritic French king’s reign.

The term “rococo” is thought to be a portmanteau of the French words rocaille and coquilles — “rock” and “shells” — organic motifs frequently used in architecture and design of the style.

When it comes to authentic Rococo furniture's characteristics, it is above all sensuous and social. The furniture of earlier eras in Europe had been heavy in every sense; the Rococo period saw the appearance of light-framed upholstered armchairs, side chairs and occasional tables that could easily be moved to form conversational circles.

The signal detail of Rococo furniture design is the gently curved cabriole, or S-shaped chair-, table-, and cabinet-leg. It imitates the bend of a tree limb or a flower stem. In a further reference to nature, furnishings were often asymmetrical and painted white, or in soft, pastel shades. Rococo has become a timeless style, and as the furniture pieces presented on 1stDibs demonstrate, its playful, sculptural forms can provide visual excitement to contemporary, clean-lined spaces.

Antique, new and vintage decorative art is crucial to personalizing your interior.

Bringing art into your home will help you create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, whether you are expecting to regularly host guests for cocktails in your living room or you are inclined to soak up some “me time” on weekends by curling up with a book in your library. After all, a room isn’t quite complete until you hang some art on the walls.

Choosing a piece of art for your interior is a matter of finding something that resonates with you. You should also consider what will work with your current decor. Keep in mind that a wide range of objects counts as decorative art — antique and vintage prints, paintings, wall-mounted sculptures and more. There is so much to choose from! And art can feel as deeply personal with the vintage posters that promoted your favorite classic films as it can with framed photographs of your loved ones.

Decorative art can set the mood for a room and will typically make for great conversation. When you find wall decor and decorations that speak to you, why not introduce them into your space? It will give you and your guests the opportunity to meaningfully engage with the art every time you see it. You can play with different styles, eras and colors. Mix and match pieces to integrate a refreshing pop of color or create a theme by dedicating a room to a color palette or certain time period. A great way to tie your layout together is to choose wall art that complements your decor and color scheme.

Folk art is an interesting category for its wide range of works across various media and the array of textures it can offer. Paper art is another versatile option because it will be easy to find a home for portraits, collages, drawings and other works in your space. With decorative paper art, you can also get creative with how you arrange your wall art. There are plenty of options that include hanging the works salon-style.

On 1stDibs, find a constantly growing collection of antique and vintage decorative art today.