Adolphe Alexandre Lesrel (French, 1839-1929)

‘Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle’
signed and dated 'A. A. LESREL 1887' l.l., oil on canvas
87 x 120cm

Provenance: With M Newman, London.

A pupil of Jean-Léon Gérôme, Adolphe Alexandre Lesrel was one of the foremost French painters of the 'troubadour style' in the late 19th century. Renowned for his meticulously detailed historical interiors and scenes of courtly life, Lesrel's works evoke the splendour and refinement of the 17th and 18th centuries with theatrical precision. His paintings - often depicting nobles, cardinals and soldiers engaged in study or intrigue - reveal an exquisite command of texture, light and costume. Drawing upon the academic tradition, Lesrel combined historical accuracy with a romantic nostalgia for the grandeur of the past, making his work especially admired among collectors of history and genre painting.

A consummate exercise in historical imagination and painterly precision, 'Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle' by Adolphe Alexandre Lesrel exemplifies the 19th-century fascination with the grandeur, ceremony, and theatricality of the past. A follower of Jean-Léon Gérôme and a master of the troubadour style, Lesrel was celebrated for his meticulous re-creations of the ancien régime and its heroes, each work shimmering with the illusion of authenticity.

This painting reimagines one of the defining events of 17th-century France: the Siege of La Rochelle (1627-1628), when Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister to Louis XIII, led the royal army to suppress the Huguenot rebellion. Lesrel captures the cardinal not in the chaos of battle but in the solemn, cerebral act of command - poised over a great map, surrounded by advisers, with models of ships and fortifications arranged like chess pieces in a campaign of intellect and will.

The composition, rich with symbolic detail, transforms this episode of religious and political conflict into a theatre of statecraft. The scarlet of Richelieu's robes glows against the sombre interior, echoing both ecclesiastical authority and bloodshed; the richly embroidered textiles, gilded frames, and the map unfurled across the table evoke both the power of knowledge and the precision of control. A globe, partially illuminated, rests beside him - a subtle nod to the universal ambitions of Church and Crown. Lesrel's precision extends to every reflection in the polished armour, every fold of velvet and glint of lace, a testament to his technical virtuosity and to the 19th-century ideal of history painting as a mirror of moral drama.

The painting's romanticism lies in its nostalgia - a longing not for the brutality of war but for the elegance of its choreography. Like Henri-Paul Motte's 'Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle' (1881), which dramatises the cardinal watching his fleet from a seawall, Lesrel's interpretation transforms an episode of military pragmatism into a parable of vision and intellect. Both artists, working within the academic tradition, recast Richelieu as a Renaissance statesman-hero - a man of thought rather than a man of action - perfectly attuned to the 19th century's admiration for disciplined power, reason, and the aesthetics of authority.

Lesrel's 'Cardinal Richelieu at the Siege of La Rochelle' stands as one of his most ambitious history paintings: on its detail and drama, where every brushstroke serves not only to reconstruct the 17th century but to celebrate the 19th century's own faith in the grandeur of the past.

Condition Report

Framed: 103 x 134cm
Craquelure. On close inspection some fine infilling is visible to the red wall in the upper right quarter, however in our opinion the work presents very well overall when viewed on the wall. Under UV light, areas of retouching and infilling are visible along the edges of the painting, particularly in the lower left corner and along the right edge. The red figure on the right side shows fine retouching to the red of the uniform and area above his head. The guard on the far right has more extensive retouching to the blue section of his uniform and a small dirt mark is also visible near his left hand. When viewed under normal light there appears to have a matte finish. Additional fine retouching is present along the bottom edge of the painting and surrounding areas as well as the top two corners. Please refer to the additional images for reference.