La Cour

Maurice Victor Achener

”La Cour” translates to “Courtyard,” this being one located at the Palazzo Da Lisca in Verona, Italy. Decoration recovered on its walls in recent years reveals motifs from the 16th century, but its specific history is not clear. The crenelated walls suggest that it was likely part of a much larger property with several structures forming a fort, though much of the area was bombed during World War II, destroying what was attached to the Palazzo. The building, restored in the early 2000s, is now a hotel, but this scene of the courtyard with its archways and railings shows that this portion made it through relatively unscathed.

Achener was well known for his portrayals of regional landmarks, both manmade and natural. Like printmaker James A.M. Whistler, he often etched directly on the plate, "plein air" even when he traveled. He printed his own prints using inks he made himself.