Versailles, Vue générale prise au-dessus de la Place d’Armes — Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886), c.1845–1860, hand-colored lithograph, France en Miniature series.
Artwork Title
Versailles — Vue générale prise au-dessus de la Place d’Armes
(France en Miniature, plate no. 21)
Artist
Isidore Laurent Deroy
Date
Circa 1845–1860 (mid-19th century, early Second Empire period)
Medium
Original hand-colored lithograph on paper
(stone lithography, finished with period hand coloring)
Publisher (Éditeur) E. Morier, Paris
Address shown on plate: 5, rue du Pont-de-Lodi
E. Morier was an active Parisian publisher of refined topographical and architectural views during the mid-19th century. His publications favored educational, panoramic, and documentary series, including France en Miniature, which presented monumental French sites with clarity, geographic accuracy, and bourgeois appeal. Morier frequently collaborated with elite lithographic printers and leading artists such as Deroy to ensure high production standards.
Printer (Imprimeur)
Imp. Lemercier, Paris
The Lemercier firm was the pre-eminent lithographic printer in France during the 19th century, serving state commissions, architectural publishers, and leading artists. Lemercier prints are known for:
Crisp architectural line work
Smooth tonal gradation
Durable inks and high-quality stones
Compatibility with fine hand coloring
Their involvement securely places this work among first-class original lithographic productions, not later reproductions.
Series
France en Miniature
(distinct from Deroy’s earlier “Paris” series)
Description
This panoramic view depicts the Place d’Armes at Versailles, seen from an elevated vantage point looking outward from the palace gates toward the grand axial approach and surrounding urban fabric. The composition emphasizes the formal geometry of royal planning, balanced by animated civic life—figures, pedestrians, and subtle movement that bring scale and humanity to the monumental setting.
Deroy’s command of perspective allows the viewer to read Versailles simultaneously as:
A ceremonial royal threshold
A functioning civic space
A symbol of enduring national identity
This original 19th-century French architectural view is a hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy, published as part of the distinguished France en Miniature series. Depicting Versailles from above the Place d’Armes, the composition combines precise architectural draftsmanship with animated urban life. Issued by Paris publisher E. Morier and printed by the renowned firm Imp. Lemercier, this work exemplifies mid-19th-century French topographical lithography at its finest. Highly collectible for its historical importance, original hand coloring, and association with Versailles, the print appeals to collectors of European city views, French architectural history, and museum-quality works on paper.
Artist Biography
Isidore Laurent Deroy was a French painter, draftsman, and prolific lithographer renowned for his architectural and topographical views. Born in Paris, Deroy studied under Louis-François Cassas and exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon from 1822 to 1866. His work is characterized by exacting architectural fidelity, atmospheric perspective, and an ability to animate civic spaces with daily life.
Deroy collaborated with leading 19th-century printers and publishers, producing views that documented France during a period of immense political and urban transformation. His works are held in major institutional collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. His sons, Émile Deroy and Auguste-Victor Deroy, continued the family’s artistic legacy.
Provenance
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York
(acquired in New York City and Europe)
Private Collection
Current Owner:
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Condition
Consistent with age; light toning and minor surface wear typical of mid-19th-century lithographs. Original hand coloring remains well preserved.
Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886)
Versailles — Vue générale prise au-dessus de la Place d’Armes, c.1845–1860
Hand-colored lithograph on paper
Published by E. Morier, Paris; printed by Lemercier
From the France en Miniature series
A finely detailed panoramic view of Versailles by one of France’s foremost architectural lithographers.
Certificate of Authenticity
This certifies that the accompanying artwork is an original 19th-century hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy, published by E. Morier and printed by Lemercier, Paris, circa 1845–1860. The work is guaranteed to be authentic and of the period stated.
Versailles, Vue générale prise au-dessus de la Place d’Armes — Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886), c.1845–1860, hand-colored lithograph, France en Miniature series.
Artwork Title
Versailles — Vue générale prise au-dessus de la Place d’Armes
(France en Miniature, plate no. 21)
Artist
Isidore Laurent Deroy
Date
Circa 1845–1860 (mid-19th century, early Second Empire period)
Medium
Original hand-colored lithograph on paper
(stone lithography, finished with period hand coloring)
Publisher (Éditeur) E. Morier, Paris
Address shown on plate: 5, rue du Pont-de-Lodi
E. Morier was an active Parisian publisher of refined topographical and architectural views during the mid-19th century. His publications favored educational, panoramic, and documentary series, including France en Miniature, which presented monumental French sites with clarity, geographic accuracy, and bourgeois appeal. Morier frequently collaborated with elite lithographic printers and leading artists such as Deroy to ensure high production standards.
Printer (Imprimeur)
Imp. Lemercier, Paris
The Lemercier firm was the pre-eminent lithographic printer in France during the 19th century, serving state commissions, architectural publishers, and leading artists. Lemercier prints are known for:
Crisp architectural line work
Smooth tonal gradation
Durable inks and high-quality stones
Compatibility with fine hand coloring
Their involvement securely places this work among first-class original lithographic productions, not later reproductions.
Series
France en Miniature
(distinct from Deroy’s earlier “Paris” series)
Description
This panoramic view depicts the Place d’Armes at Versailles, seen from an elevated vantage point looking outward from the palace gates toward the grand axial approach and surrounding urban fabric. The composition emphasizes the formal geometry of royal planning, balanced by animated civic life—figures, pedestrians, and subtle movement that bring scale and humanity to the monumental setting.
Deroy’s command of perspective allows the viewer to read Versailles simultaneously as:
A ceremonial royal threshold
A functioning civic space
A symbol of enduring national identity
This original 19th-century French architectural view is a hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy, published as part of the distinguished France en Miniature series. Depicting Versailles from above the Place d’Armes, the composition combines precise architectural draftsmanship with animated urban life. Issued by Paris publisher E. Morier and printed by the renowned firm Imp. Lemercier, this work exemplifies mid-19th-century French topographical lithography at its finest. Highly collectible for its historical importance, original hand coloring, and association with Versailles, the print appeals to collectors of European city views, French architectural history, and museum-quality works on paper.
Artist Biography
Isidore Laurent Deroy was a French painter, draftsman, and prolific lithographer renowned for his architectural and topographical views. Born in Paris, Deroy studied under Louis-François Cassas and exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon from 1822 to 1866. His work is characterized by exacting architectural fidelity, atmospheric perspective, and an ability to animate civic spaces with daily life.
Deroy collaborated with leading 19th-century printers and publishers, producing views that documented France during a period of immense political and urban transformation. His works are held in major institutional collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. His sons, Émile Deroy and Auguste-Victor Deroy, continued the family’s artistic legacy.
Provenance
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York
(acquired in New York City and Europe)
Private Collection
Current Owner:
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Condition
Consistent with age; light toning and minor surface wear typical of mid-19th-century lithographs. Original hand coloring remains well preserved.
Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886)
Versailles — Vue générale prise au-dessus de la Place d’Armes, c.1845–1860
Hand-colored lithograph on paper
Published by E. Morier, Paris; printed by Lemercier
From the France en Miniature series
A finely detailed panoramic view of Versailles by one of France’s foremost architectural lithographers.
Certificate of Authenticity
This certifies that the accompanying artwork is an original 19th-century hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy, published by E. Morier and printed by Lemercier, Paris, circa 1845–1860. The work is guaranteed to be authentic and of the period stated.
Image 1 of 7
Image 2 of 7
Image 3 of 7
Image 4 of 7
Image 5 of 7
Image 6 of 7
Image 7 of 7
