Louis Béroud – Preparing for the New Day
Original Oil on Canvas
Signed & Dated Lower Left: Louis Béroud, 1912
Dimensions: 25.5" x 21.25"
Condition: Professionally cleaned and newly reframed
Private collection Montreal
This elegant interior scene by renowned French artist Louis Béroud (1852–1933) captures a refined and intimate moment at the dawn of a new day. Titled Preparing for the New Day, the painting depicts a gentleman standing by a window, admiring a woman seated at her vanity as she powders her face. The soft natural light, delicate composition, and finely rendered detail reflect Béroud’s mastery in portraying both atmosphere and character.
Signed and dated 1912 in the lower left corner, this work has been professionally cleaned and is presented in a tasteful new frame, ready for display. A graceful and timeless scene that exemplifies the sophistication of early 20th-century French salon painting.
About the Artist: Louis Béroud (1852–1933)
Louis Béroud was a celebrated French painter and illustrator known for his refined interior scenes, portraits, and depictions of daily life among the Parisian bourgeoisie. Born in Lyon, he trained at the École des Beaux-Arts under masters such as Jean-Léon Gérôme and Léon Bonnat. Béroud gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for his meticulously composed works that often highlighted elegant interiors, museum settings, and moments of quiet sophistication.
He regularly exhibited at the Paris Salon and was well-regarded during his lifetime for his technical precision and narrative charm. In addition to his studio works, Béroud was also known for documenting the interiors of the Louvre, and he holds a unique place in art history—famously being the person who discovered the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 during one of his visits to the museum.
Today, his paintings remain admired for their historical insight and graceful rendering of the Belle Époque and pre-war France.
 
Dundarave Location