Notre Dame Cathedral, Rouen, France

Richard Davidson Winter

Little information can be found regarding the life of Richard Davidson (R.D.) Winter. He is listed as having been born in 1890 and died in 1915 at age 25, perhaps a victim of WWI.

The few etchings we have located are like this image, large, detailed etchings of French Gothic cathedrals. He views this cathedral from street level with people going about their everyday activities, street vendors, and shops, including a boutique de modiste at the left.

The medieval apartment houses, with their brick and rough stonework and jutting gable roofs and garretts, stand in stark contrast to the elegant facade of the church as they had for centuries. Winter adds a remarque at the lower left margin that depicts a pineapple and two lemons which refer to the fruit vendor depicted in the lower right of the image.