Coutances a.k.a. Notre Dame and St. Pierre by John Taylor Arms
Coutances a.k.a. Notre Dame and St. Pierre
John Taylor Arms
Title
Coutances a.k.a. Notre Dame and St. Pierre
Artist
John Taylor Arms
1887 - 1953 (biography)Year
1927
Technique
etching
Image Size
9 3/8 x 4 7/8" platemark
Signature
pencil, lower right
Edition Size
100
Annotations
pencil dated 1927 after the signature; plate inscribed "Coutances 1926" in lower right
Reference
Fletcher 197; French Church Series #16; Arms 199; LOC 73
Paper
ivory laid
State
i/ii
Publisher
artist
Inventory ID
24540
Price
$700.00
Description
Saint-Pierre-de-Coutances is a commune in Normandy, France. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances is considered a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. It was constructed between 1210 and 1274 and incorporated the remains of an earlier Norman cathedral. The cathedral retains one of the most beautiful sets of medieval stained-glass windows in Normandy. In his etching Coutances, Arms chose to depict a view of the cathedral from the lower section of a cobbled street. This perspective shows the dominance of the cathedral over the old stone buildings of the commune. Even from a distance, Arms was able to capture the massiveness of the building and the delicacy of the façade.