A medieval church, a sweeping French sky, and a village landscape captured in 1913—on the eve of the First World War. This atmospheric oil painting brings together the monumental silhouette of Larchant’s church and the humble details of rural life: tiled rooftops, leafy trees, cut timber, and flowers scattered across the foreground.

The blue and cream sky gives the composition its light, while the earthy greens and ochres lend it warmth. Offered unframed, the canvas has the worn, collected presence that makes antique paintings so compelling in a home.

About the artist

Francis Snow Hesseltine (1833–1916) was an American painter and lecturer associated with Boston, documented in the askART artist directory. This verified work offers a French village subject from 1913, late in his lifetime—a meeting of American biography and French architectural history.

Francis Snow Hesseltine’s life reached far beyond the studio. Born in Bangor, Maine, he served as a Union officer during the American Civil War and later practiced law. He received the Medal of Honor in 1895 for his conduct at Matagorda Bay, Texas, in December 1863. His papers are preserved in Colby College’s Special Collections. His extraordinary life adds an American historical dimension to this quietly observed French landscape.

The church at Larchant

The subject is Saint-Mathurin, the great Gothic church at Larchant in the Fontainebleau area. Construction began in the late twelfth century under the chapter of Notre-Dame de Paris. A celebrated medieval pilgrimage destination, it drew French kings as well as travelers on the route to Santiago de Compostela.

Its striking silhouette carries centuries of history: fire during the Wars of Religion in 1568 and a partial tower collapse in 1675 helped shape the surviving structure. Here, that remarkable monument stands quietly above the village, surrounded by the ordinary rhythms of country life. The inscription “Larchant” and date “1913” anchor the painting to a specific place and moment.

Details & condition

• Antique oil painting on canvas, dated 1913
• Inscribed “Larchant” at the lower right
• By Francis S. Hesseltine (1833–1916); attribution verified by Everyday Château
• Sourced from the Paris markets; offered unframed
• Visible surface wear, edge wear, and areas of paint loss, including a noticeable worn area at the lower left. Please examine the photograph closely.

Historical references: askART artist record; Colby College Special Collections; Congressional Medal of Honor Society; Village of Larchant; Pays de Nemours tourism office.

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