Abbeville; or St. Vulfran

John Taylor Arms

Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in northern France and is located on the river Somme. The Collegiate Church of Saint-Vulfran dates to the 15th century. Construction began in 1488 and it remains unfinished. It is considered a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic art. The frontage has a rose window, gallery, Renaissance statues, and two symmetrical towers topped by lookout turrets. For his etching Abbeville, Arms chose a sideview of the Church of Saint-Vulfran, contrasting the tall and massive building against the smaller wood and stone buildings of the commercial district. Arms created this work in 1925 and parts of the church were badly damaged during World War II and have not been properly restored. One would guess that damage extended throughout the town as many of the buildings are now sheathed in red brick.