This is a fine vintage drypoint etching by the Australian artist, Lionel Arthur Lindsay.
Lindsay was born at Creswick in Victoria. He studied art at the National Gallery School in Melbourne. He was self-taught in etching and engraving. In the 1890s Lindsay made his first trip to Spain and England. He travelled widely, visiting not only Spain, but also latterly Italy, France, and India.
On this return to Australia - Lindsay moved to Sydney where he was employed as a freelance artist and journalist.
In 1907, he held an exhibition of the etchings at the Society of Artists, Sydney. In 1921, he was elected the first President of the Australian Painter-Etchers' Society. In the 1920s he began to exhibit in London and one of his most successful shows was held in 1927 at the prestigious Colnaghi's Gallery. This established Lindsay's reputation in the UK.
Lindsay became a Trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and was later knighted for his services to Australian art in 1941. He died in Melbourne on 22 May 1961.
The Lionel Lindsay Art Gallery and Library, in Toowoomba, Queensland, holds rare books, manuscripts, and maps, and over 400 artworks by the artist, members of his family, as well as works by other significant Australian painters. His work is also in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.
Lindsay published several books on the subject of etching - and his own work is the subject of a number of published volumes.
Lindsay made a trip to the Continent in the late 1920s. An impression of this plate was included in Colnaghi's show in 1927. My print is in excellent condition with no issues. Impressions of this work are in prestigious collections in Australia and New Zealand. So this work is of museum quality.
It is being sold with a new fresh acid-free window mount - so that it could be shipped to Australia - this is going to be in the region of £25 with recorded Royal Mail post.
The drypoint is signed in pencil by the artist to the bottom left, in the margin. And inscribed Sospel in the center - and No.2 in the right-hand corner.
This fine drypoint print shows a view of the Old Bridge at Sospel (Vieux-Pont) at Provence, France - near the border with Italy. The bridge crosses the Bevera River. The town was prosperous in the 13th century when an important salt trading route between Nice and Turin passed through Sospel.
The tower in the center of the fortified bridge was originally the toll gate for the mules using the trade route and used to collect tolls from people wishing to cross the bridge. A crossing has stood here since at least the 13th century, although it is likely the original bridge was built of wood. In 1522 the old wooden bridge was replaced by a sturdier stone version, much as we see it today.
The town of Sospel seen to the right-hand side was once a bustling center for the mule trains that carried salt through the town.
The design of the bridge consists of two different-sized arches. This was a deliberated design that allowed water from the river to be diverted to the houses in the town. Over the course of the centuries, the tower has been used for toll collection, as well as for habitation, and as a base for various businesses.
The bridge shown in Lindsay's print records the appearance of the bridge before it was extensively damaged in WW2. The bridge today has been reconstructed with the original stones following the design shown in Lindsay's etching.
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