This oil painting by Swiss artist Edouard Elzingre is framed in beige-painted wood and depicts La Porte Neuve, a significant square in present-day Geneva. Although painted in the early 1900s, Elzingre seems to depict a pleasant day from the early 1800s, based on the presence of the drawbridge, which was demolished in the mid-1800s.

The towering drawbridge can be seen in front of several cream-colored buildings with brown roofs that reach up to the blue sky. Behind the nearest building are the barely visible tops of verdant trees, which wrap around the left side of the canvas. In front of the drawbridge is a black and yellow carriage being pulled by four white horses. A coachman dressed in orange sits on a gold coachbox, wearing black riding boots and a tricorne hat. Although partially obscured, a footman rides on the back of the coach, apparently clad in a similar livery. A young boy in brown and olive walks beside the lead horses, as a couple dressed in shades of green waits for the carriage to pass. Several figures (two women and one man) can be seen walking behind the carriage.

Place de Neuve, as it is called today, is home to many important cultural centers, such as a music conservatory, opera house, and museum. The square was built on top of the remnants of a town gate of the Medieval city of Porte Neuve, hence the name. Edouard Elzingre was born in 1880 in Neuchatel, Switzerland, about 75 miles northeast of Geneva. At the age of 15, Elzingre enrolled in the nearby school of arts in La Chaux-de-Fonds, before entering the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After moving to Geneva in 1907, Elzingre became known for his works celebrating the culture of Geneva, ranging from illustrating children’s books to producing historical paintings, such as this beauftiful painting of Place de Neuve.

CONDITION: Very good antique condition, with minor rubs. The frame is most likely not original but has been rigged for hanging purposes. The canvas is signed in the lower right corner: “Ed. Elzingre”.