Mid Century Parisian Watercolor Notre Dame And The Seine Appraisal

Mid-Century Parisian Watercolor: Notre Dame and the Seine

This artwork is an original watercolor and ink illustration depicting a classic Parisian scene of the Notre Dame Cathedral viewed from the banks of the Seine River. The piece is rendered in a limited color palette dominated by cerulean and slate blues, with hints of sandy beige in the architecture and paper tone. The composition features the Petit Pont bridge in the mid-ground with the iconic gothic towers and spire of the cathedral rising behind it. Figures in mid-century attire are scattered along the quay, suggesting a date of production between the 1950s and 1960s. The artist's hand displays a loose, impressionistic style with confident ink outlines and fluid watercolor washes. The paper appears slightly aged with a warm patina and minor foxing or light staining visible in the margins. It is housed in a contemporary double-stepped frame, featuring a dark wood outer molding and a black inner liner that draws focus to the artwork. Handwriting in the lower-left corner identifies the location as 'Paris Notre Dame/Seine', and there is a faint, stylized signature in the lower-right foreground. The overall craftsmanship suggests a skilled hand typical of commercial or souvenir art from the mid-20th century European travel boom.