Auguste Tronquois (1829–1884) Interior Of A Mansion, Watercolor And Gouache, Signed, 1875

The son of a baker, Auguste Tronquois was born on February 23, 1829, in Seignelay in the Yonne department.
Admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in 1852, he became a student of the architects Vaudremer and Léon Chabouillé, Auguste Tronquois built primarily around Parc Monceau in Paris—recently landscaped by the Pereire brothers in the 1850s—as well as in the 8th arrondissement. The architect was best known for designing luxurious townhouses, sometimes in a Neo-Louis XIII style (on Rue Murillo and Rue Rembrandt) but more generally in the eclectic style characteristic of that period. 
In 1876, he built a former department store Au Gagne Petit, which was located at 32 Rue de l’Opéra.
From 1869 to 1875, he built Impney Castle in Droitwich Spa, United Kingdom. 

We have been unable to identify with certainty the private mansion depicted in our watercolor, as the interior decoration of these opulent residences—due to rapidly changing tastes—was often transformed or remodeled. However, a few clues suggest that it may be the mansion at 6–8 Rue Murillo. The presence of a tree visible through the windows would place it in the immediate vicinity of Parc Monceau. Furthermore,
the arched shape of the openings visible in the watercolor (which is uncommon) also evokes the architecture of this same residence.