Another discovery at the gallery this week
Many years ago I acquired two prints showing two of the famous architectural features of the beautiful town of Blois, France.
I spotted these two prints for sale here in Tynemouth in the North East of England. It was only a few days after I’d come back from a trip to France and a visit to Blois. It was a remarkable coincidence and – of course – I just had to buy them.
They are very decorative but I’d always assumed they were plates from a book.
However, this week the glass in one of the frames got broken and on dismantling the frame I discovered (much to my delight) that they are in fact the real deal – hand-coloured etchings, signed and titled by the artist Léopold Robin (1877-1939).
Robin’s signature and the titles had been hidden by the old mounts and are now revealed.
I will treat them with a bit more respect now!
David
Stage 1
Removing the broken frame glass reveals the secret of the prints of Blois
Stage 2
Preparing to remove the mount board of the framed print of Blois
Stage 3
Hidden behind the old mount – the title of the etching is inscribed in pencil along with the signature of Léopold Robin
Stage 4
The full etching is finally revealed in all its original glory.
Porte Louis XII
Examining the second etching of the pair also revealed a title and signature previously hidden behind the old mount – Porte Louis XII at the Château de Blois.
