Featured Friday Find - Is this a real 1878 Leon Voirin painting?!

I found this & paid $100 without hesitation because the look, the canvas, the wear on the canvas even the kitchen cabinet paper lining put on the back with old thumbtacks made me think old (not 1878 but a amateur attempt to protect it done in the 60's?

It has a brass plaque that reads L. Voirin (and more I don't understand) and is signed L. Voirin 1878

I know I'm wrong more times than I'm right, but if this is a reproduction it's a early one, right? (look at wear near top right of painting/canvas) - but I am cautiously excited!

Any thoughts would be Greatly appreciated!

 

Here are pics of the back - it is interesting & I'm guessing not done by a museum!

Any thoughts - do I have a winner??

 

He did set paintings in the Place Stanislaus, Nancy. Here's another.

Debora

 

But I can't find another example of a genre painting set in the 18th century, not the 19th century.

Debora

 

So you don't think it's real?

 

If it's the real deal in your 'Long and winding road' of pickin'-you might've scored the genuine article.I'm rooting for you !

 

Colours look right, style looks right

Wouldn't find it hard to believe it's from that period either

 

Do love that bow as well

 

Not sure. A minor regional painter but seems to be some variance to his signatures found on internet. On the other hand, unlikely someone copying him would not stick to period.

Debora

 

I get what you mean now, the clothing is earlier isn't it.

The date looks odd as well, more like x 's instead of 8's

 

No reason to assume it isn't genuine but be open to reasons why it may not be.

Debora

 

I just remembered the name of the horrible backing. Contact paper. Ugh. Post-1963 from zip code but not by much. I'd think you're good. You've got signature, date and title. And from internet, see lots of his (and his brother's) paintings are unaccounted for.

Debora

 

I dont think thats 1878.It looks like IX7X but I couldnt figure that out.Note the dogs in both paintings. Heres my thought... it looks correct,and shows the same attention to detail ,but yours looks a tad blurred? for lack of a better term. That could be the varnish,or someone scrubbed it along the line.

 

You might want to contact the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy. He's a local boy and their collection holds his sketch books. Contact email can be found here:

https://musee-des-beaux-arts.nancy.fr/le-musee/contact

Debora

 

I will - thank you Debora & happy 4th of july!

 

These drawings by his brother Jules, ten years later, show an interesting similarity.
https://galeries.limedia.fr/recherche/?author=Voirin,+Jules+(1833-1898)&filter_author=Voirin, Léon (1833-1887)

and this poor quality image ...
https://www.niceartgallery.com/Jule...s-A-Nancy,-Chaise-A-Porteur-oil-painting.html

 

There's a definite similarity in the faces of all examples

I think he sells in the thousands not hundreds of thousands, so copying seems unlikely

 

Here's a similar example using the stylized 8s in X form.

 

Very convincing, I'm pretty sure its right just from the look of it

 

All and all it looks like the money (low thousands) Very good find and buy. Great day at the office for you.