Return to A Few Favorite Recently Acquired Fine Art 19th-Century Photographs   Gustave Le Gray and Mestral - Abside de St. Sernin de Toulouse Full Size Contact: Alex Novak and Marthe Smith Email: info@vintageworks.net Phone: +1-215-822-5662 Company: Contemporary Works / Vintage Works, Ltd. Company: 258 Inverness Circle Company: Chalfont, PA   18914   USA URL: http://www.vintageworks.net Ref.#: 10564 Price: P.O.R. Medium: Salt print from waxed paper negative Mount: on original mounts Image Date: 1851 Print Date: 1852 Dimensions: 9-3/16 x 12-3/4 in. (233 x 324 mm) Photo Country: France Photographer Country: France Description: Signed and dated in black period ink on recto of image in lower left. Although dated 1852, the pair of Le Gray/Mestral was actually in Toulouse only in 1851, so the date refers to the print. Also blindstamped with Le Gray's name, his earliest mark. The title in French is in period ink on the verso in the same hand as the signature and is probably written by the photographer himself. The translation is the Apse of the Saint Sernin Basilica in Toulouse, France. This is an unusual architectural detail on this 12th-century basilica that was restored and redesigned by the Viollet-Le-Duc. This image is not in the Le Gray Catalogue Raisonné but one other print is known and is in the collection of the Mediatheque de l'architecture et du patrimoine and is currently at the Musee d'Orsay. A variant is at the Musee Paul-Dupuy in Toulouse. In the Fourth Century, Saint Sylve decided on the construction of a basilica worthy of the relics of Saint Sernin (Saint Saturnin). There is no specific information about the first building. It was ruined in the struggles between the Merovingian and the Muslim invasion. According to the authors of the Gallia, it was probably destroyed in the siege of Toulouse by the Saracens in 721. The increase in the number of relics filed around the tomb of the first bishop of Toulouse and the influx of pilgrims demanded the construction of a much larger church. Located on the road to St Jacques de Compostelle, the tomb of Saint Saturnin was one of the major pilgrimages in the Middle Ages. The church of Saint Martin of Tours may have served as a model for the Basilica of Saint Sernin in Toulouse. Its construction was carried out in stages, but fairly quickly. While work on the basilica may have started as early as 1060, the bulk of the construction did not get underway until 1080, when the Provost of the Chapter, Raymond Gayrard, was responsible for the direction of the site. During his visit to Toulouse, in spring 1096, Pope Urban II dedicated the high altar. After the death of Raymond Gayrard in 1118, the walls of the nave were already up to the high windows, and on July 19, 1119, Pope Calixtus II could, in turn, consecrate the church. After a few additions, the basilica remained unfinished until the 20th century, with the north tower showing a rather unsightly imbalance, which was fixed after being redesigned by the Viollet-Le-Duc's architect. The Basilica of Saint Sernin is listed as a World Heritage site. See: Anne de Mondenard, La Mission Heliographique, Cinq Photographes Parcourent la France en 1851, p.237, pl.36. Provenance: from the collection of Viollet-Le-Duc Eugene-Emmanuel de Luynes; through his heirs. Viollet-Le-Duc Eugene-Emmanuel de Luynes was highly interested in archeology, numismatics, art, architecture and photography; and he collected all of these articles. He sponsored a major contest for the first method of easy printing of photography and also sponsored numerous photographers and their work, often bringing photographers on his travels, such as the one to Lebanon and Palestine in 1864, when he brought the amateur photographer Louis Vignes along to take photographs of the trip. He sponsored the Bisson brothers on their trip to Italy to document the major architectural ruins and important building there. The duke's collection of 19th-century photography is considered the most important such collection of that period. Shipping and insurance costs will be added to the price and must be paid for by the buyer. Pennsylvania and New York buyers must pay appropriate sales tax. International clients are responsible for their VAT and other custom's oriented charges.