The Valentre Bridge, Cahors by Frank Brangwyn

The Valentre Bridge, Cahors by Frank Brangwyn

The Valentre Bridge, Cahors

Frank Brangwyn

Title

The Valentre Bridge, Cahors

 
Artist

Frank Brangwyn

  1867 - 1956 (biography)
Year
1911  
Technique
zinc plate etching 
Image Size
21 3/16 x 31 13/16" platemark 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
numbered "9", from an edition of 25 proofs from the second state 
Annotations
penciled number 9 in lower left 
Reference
Gaunt 178 
Paper
antique-white wove with J Green & Son 1940 watermark 
State
published 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
17346 
Price
SOLD
Description
The Valentre Bridge, located in Cahors in the south of France, is sometimes considered the finest and most well-preserved bridge in Europe. In addition, it has become perhaps the most historically fabled of the many famous "Devil's Bridges." These bridges, most of them located in France and Switzerland, were built under such challenging conditions that the builders' efforts were later hailed as heroic. Legends and folk tales describe pacts made by passing travelers with the Devil in order to cross the precariously located bridges. Building of the Valentre Bridge began in 1308 and ended in 1378, with restoration by Paul Gout in 1879. Upon finishing the restoration, Gout had a devil's head carved into the top of the central tower as a reminder of the legend.