Henry Victor Lesur was a French artist born in 1860 who painted portraits and genre scenes set in the 18th century depicting elegantly dressed men and women. He received academic training under Francois Flameng and developed a passion for painting costumes and high society life. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, Lesur exhibited paintings at the Paris Salon that depicted 18th century-style figures conversing in gardens and markets. His works used rich colors and fabrics to depict intimate scenes in small panels requiring close examination. Lesur received medals for his work at Universal Expositions in the late 19th century.