Framed European Street Scene Watercolor or Tinted Lithograph

This item is a framed piece of artwork depicting a bustling historical European street scene, possibly a market day in a cathedral city such as Lisieux or Rouen. The composition features tall half-timbered Tudor-style buildings and shop-fronts with awnings, leading the eye toward a large Gothic-style cathedral tower in the misty background. The color palette is dominated by muted, earthy tones of ochre, sepia, and terracotta, with white highlights representing smoke rising from chimneys. This suggests a watercolor medium or a hand-tinted lithograph. The artwork is professionally mounted in a classic ivory-colored matte with decorative 'French lines' (double-line borders) around the window opening. It is housed in an elegant gold-gilt wood frame with a slight metallic sheen. The style is reminiscent of 19th-century topographical artists like Thomas Shotter Boys or Samuel Prout, known for capturing architectural detail and urban ambiance. The condition appears fair to good; the paper shows a slight warm patina consistent with age, and while no major tears are visible, there is potential foxing or minor discoloration in the upper portion of the sky. The frame shows minor scuffing. The craftsmanship of the matte indicates a late 20th-century framing job, though the print or painting itself likely dates from the mid-to-late 19th or early 20th century.