Recently I picked up a small painting because of the combination of quality and theme, an oriental rifle. It turned out to be an easy piece of art for furher research.
The painting on a piece of wood was not signed but had an artists workshop stamp. This stamp is the type that is used when the estate of an artist that has passed away is cleared and all studies and unsigned pieces get a stamp as proof that these works indeed came from that artists estate.
As Marguerite Delorme is a quite well known orientalist and the theme of this piece fits well with the attribution to her.
After some research online I found a finished masterpiece by her. This small work must have been a forestudy for that piece.
The study shows a more loose, impressionist style with broad brushstroke than the final work which is why like it even more than the full size masterpiece.