Still Life with Fish and Knife, French School, Parisian area, 19th century

Oil on canvas, relined, signed lower right with a brush inscription "Emanuel Sé...", partially readable (probably an acute accent—or apostrophe—on the "é," with partially abraded/veiled handwriting); ebonized frame in late 19th-century style with gilded pearl trim. The painting features a typical "fish market" composition: several species of fish are arranged in the foreground on the panel, illuminated by cool, impasto strokes of light, while against the dark background are a diagonally placed filleting knife and, in the center, a hanging paper tag with the word "PARIS," an element referencing the Parisian fish market circuit.
The painting is rapid and vibrant, with broad, thick brushstrokes that modulate the metallic reflections of the flesh and a brown-bituminous background animated by glazes: a manner consistent with the post-Courbettian naturalist tradition practiced in France between the third and last quarter of the nineteenth century.
Given the obviousness of the subject, the diagonal layout, the luminous material, and the decorative stylistic features of the frame, a prudent attribution to the French School of Parisian area is proposed, dating between approximately 1850 and 1880. The signature, although legible in the sequence "Emanuel Sé...", cannot currently be linked to a known artist and will likely be clarified with conservation treatment that removes the oxidation of the varnish.
The overall state of preservation is good: the relining is modern, with a regular-weave linen lining and a recent wedge-shaped frame; the paint layer shows aged varnish with an uneven sheen, small abrasions on the highlights, and minimal finishing touches near the frame, without any obvious structural issues. The frame shows signs of wear and minor loss of gilding.
École française.
Measurements: 69,5 x 54,5 x 6,5 cm (with frame); 60 x 45,5 cm painted.