Raymon Périsse – A Bustling Square In A Town In Lorraine, Circa 1935 – Oil On Panel – Signed

Raymond Périsse (1897–1969)
A bustling square in a town in Lorraine, after a rain shower
Oil on plywood
Signed lower right
50 x 38.5 cm — 62 x 50.5 cm with frame
Very good condition
Carved oak frame with twisted scrollwork and a row of pearls

It has just rained. The square’s pavement still glistens, silhouettes are reflected in it as dark streaks, and the sky breaks open in places to reveal two or three patches of bright blue.

The square fans out. On the left, a light-colored building with a red-tiled roof and a row of pruned trees; in the center, a tall white bell tower topped with a green dome, which lends the composition its vertical dimension; to the right, a row of ochre and gray facades with their lit storefronts, a bulletin board, and streetlights. Passersby are crossing the square, a horse-drawn carriage is parked, and a woman in a red coat is walking away into the background.

The brushwork is thick and boldly applied, with no concern for a polished finish. The grays of the sky are worked into the paint, and the reflections on the cobblestones are rendered with a few light brushstrokes. It is a quick and confident painting, created from life or from immediate memory.

This depicts a town in Lorraine, in the Nancy region, where Raymond Périsse painted throughout his career. The Gothic bell tower topped with a bulbous dome, the sloping roofs, and the layout of the square are all characteristic of the urban landscape of Lorraine. The exact location of the square remains to be identified: the curious art lover might have better luck than we do.

Condition and Frame
In very good condition. The plywood is sound, the paint layer is well-preserved, and the colors are vivid. The artist’s name was inscribed on the back by a later hand. Carved oak frame, molded with a twisted design along the outer edge and a row of beads on the inside, in good condition.

The Artist
Raymond Périsse was born in 1897 in Viterne, in Meurthe-et-Moselle, and died in Nancy in 1969. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy, he exhibited regularly and devoted himself primarily to landscapes and flowers. His views of the villages and rivers of Lorraine—Richardménil, Maizières-lès-Toul, the Moselle Valley, the banks of the Madon, and Saint-Nicolas-de-Port—frequently appear in regional auctions, alongside his large floral arrangements. He is featured in Harcos’s reference work, *Peintres et graveurs lorrains*.

This lively, rainy city scene departs from his usual repertoire—which is what makes it so interesting.

Work on view at the gallery (07240)
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