St. Cloud, Vue des Cascades — Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886), c.1850, hand-colored lithograph, France en Miniature, signed in plate.
Original 19th-century French hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy depicting the celebrated Cascades of Saint-Cloud. From the France en Miniature series, this Second Empire architectural landscape was drawn from nature, lithographed by the artist, published by E. Morier, and printed by the renowned Lemercier & Cie in Paris.
Artwork Description
This work presents an animated and elegant view of the Cascades of Saint-Cloud, once among the most admired water features in Europe and a celebrated destination for Parisian leisure during the mid-19th century. From an elevated vantage point, Isidore Laurent Deroy captures the layered terraces, sculptural niches, theatrical staircases, and rhythmic movement of water jets that defined the gardens of the Château de Saint-Cloud.
In the foreground, finely dressed visitors socialize, stroll, and pause to admire the fountains—reflecting the 19th-century Parisian tradition of promenading in royal parks, where architecture, landscape, and social life converged. These figures animate the monumental setting and lend scale, transforming the scene from formal garden design into a lived civic space.
The imprint includes “Dess. et lith. d’après nature par Deroy,” confirming that Deroy both drew and lithographed the work directly from nature. The lithographic line delivers architectural clarity and disciplined perspective, while hand-applied color introduces soft greens, warm ochres, and muted blues that enliven foliage, stonework, and cascading water.
The plate further bears “Paris E. Morier, 5 rue du Pont de Lodi” and “Imp. Lemercier, Paris,” identifying it as a first-period production executed at the highest technical level of 19th-century French lithography. As the Château and much of the gardens of Saint-Cloud were destroyed in 1870, this work is not only aesthetically engaging but historically significant, preserving a celebrated landscape that no longer exists. It stands as a classic example of French topographical printmaking at its finest.
Artist Biography
Isidore Laurent Deroy was a French painter, draftsman, and prolific lithographer renowned for his architectural and topographical views. Born in Paris in 1797, Deroy studied under Louis-François Cassas, whose emphasis on archaeological accuracy and classical structure shaped Deroy’s disciplined approach.
Deroy exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon from 1822 to 1866, earning recognition for his exacting architectural fidelity, atmospheric perspective, and ability to animate civic spaces with daily life. Working primarily in Paris, he collaborated with leading 19th-century publishers and printers, documenting France during a period of immense political, urban, and cultural 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.
LEMERCIER & CIE (Printer, Paris)
Lemercier & Cie, founded by Rose-Joseph Lemercier, became one of Europe’s greatest lithographic establishments during the 19th century. The studio pioneered advancements in chromolithography, architectural plate printing, and high-precision transfer techniques, setting industry standards for clarity, durability, and refinement.
Working with leading artists, government agencies, and major publishers, Lemercier & Cie produced some of the finest illustrated books, architectural views, and topographical plates of the century. Their imprint is a hallmark of technical excellence and confirms this work as a museum-quality, first-period lithograph.
E. MORIER (Publisher, Paris)
E. Morier, operating from 5 rue du Pont de Lodi, Paris, specialized in illustrated travel plates, architectural views, and cultural prints aimed at the growing 19th-century market for educational and decorative imagery.
Morier’s collaboration with Deroy and Lemercier & Cie resulted in exquisitely crafted plates such as those in the France en Miniature series, now highly sought after for their documentary value, artistic refinement, and historical significance.
Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886), St. Cloud, Vue des Cascades, c.1850. Hand-colored lithograph from France en Miniature. Drawn and lithographed by the artist. Published by E. Morier; printed by Lemercier & Cie, Paris.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
This certifies that St. Cloud, Vue des Cascades is an original 19th-century hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886). The work bears the inscriptions “Dess. et lith. d’après nature par Deroy,” “Paris E. Morier, 5 rue du Pont de Lodi,” and “Imp. Lemercier, Paris,” confirming period authorship, publication, and printing. Authenticity and historical attribution are guaranteed.
Provenance Chain
(Collector Format)
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York (acquired in NYC and Europe)
Private Collection
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
St. Cloud, Vue des Cascades — Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886), c.1850, hand-colored lithograph, France en Miniature, signed in plate.
Original 19th-century French hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy depicting the celebrated Cascades of Saint-Cloud. From the France en Miniature series, this Second Empire architectural landscape was drawn from nature, lithographed by the artist, published by E. Morier, and printed by the renowned Lemercier & Cie in Paris.
Artwork Description
This work presents an animated and elegant view of the Cascades of Saint-Cloud, once among the most admired water features in Europe and a celebrated destination for Parisian leisure during the mid-19th century. From an elevated vantage point, Isidore Laurent Deroy captures the layered terraces, sculptural niches, theatrical staircases, and rhythmic movement of water jets that defined the gardens of the Château de Saint-Cloud.
In the foreground, finely dressed visitors socialize, stroll, and pause to admire the fountains—reflecting the 19th-century Parisian tradition of promenading in royal parks, where architecture, landscape, and social life converged. These figures animate the monumental setting and lend scale, transforming the scene from formal garden design into a lived civic space.
The imprint includes “Dess. et lith. d’après nature par Deroy,” confirming that Deroy both drew and lithographed the work directly from nature. The lithographic line delivers architectural clarity and disciplined perspective, while hand-applied color introduces soft greens, warm ochres, and muted blues that enliven foliage, stonework, and cascading water.
The plate further bears “Paris E. Morier, 5 rue du Pont de Lodi” and “Imp. Lemercier, Paris,” identifying it as a first-period production executed at the highest technical level of 19th-century French lithography. As the Château and much of the gardens of Saint-Cloud were destroyed in 1870, this work is not only aesthetically engaging but historically significant, preserving a celebrated landscape that no longer exists. It stands as a classic example of French topographical printmaking at its finest.
Artist Biography
Isidore Laurent Deroy was a French painter, draftsman, and prolific lithographer renowned for his architectural and topographical views. Born in Paris in 1797, Deroy studied under Louis-François Cassas, whose emphasis on archaeological accuracy and classical structure shaped Deroy’s disciplined approach.
Deroy exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon from 1822 to 1866, earning recognition for his exacting architectural fidelity, atmospheric perspective, and ability to animate civic spaces with daily life. Working primarily in Paris, he collaborated with leading 19th-century publishers and printers, documenting France during a period of immense political, urban, and cultural 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.
LEMERCIER & CIE (Printer, Paris)
Lemercier & Cie, founded by Rose-Joseph Lemercier, became one of Europe’s greatest lithographic establishments during the 19th century. The studio pioneered advancements in chromolithography, architectural plate printing, and high-precision transfer techniques, setting industry standards for clarity, durability, and refinement.
Working with leading artists, government agencies, and major publishers, Lemercier & Cie produced some of the finest illustrated books, architectural views, and topographical plates of the century. Their imprint is a hallmark of technical excellence and confirms this work as a museum-quality, first-period lithograph.
E. MORIER (Publisher, Paris)
E. Morier, operating from 5 rue du Pont de Lodi, Paris, specialized in illustrated travel plates, architectural views, and cultural prints aimed at the growing 19th-century market for educational and decorative imagery.
Morier’s collaboration with Deroy and Lemercier & Cie resulted in exquisitely crafted plates such as those in the France en Miniature series, now highly sought after for their documentary value, artistic refinement, and historical significance.
Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886), St. Cloud, Vue des Cascades, c.1850. Hand-colored lithograph from France en Miniature. Drawn and lithographed by the artist. Published by E. Morier; printed by Lemercier & Cie, Paris.
Certificate of Value & Authentication
This certifies that St. Cloud, Vue des Cascades is an original 19th-century hand-colored lithograph by Isidore Laurent Deroy (1797–1886). The work bears the inscriptions “Dess. et lith. d’après nature par Deroy,” “Paris E. Morier, 5 rue du Pont de Lodi,” and “Imp. Lemercier, Paris,” confirming period authorship, publication, and printing. Authenticity and historical attribution are guaranteed.
Provenance Chain
(Collector Format)
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York (acquired in NYC and Europe)
Private Collection
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
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