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an old picture of a view of a town with a bridge in the foregrounda black and white drawing of a castle with a staircasea black and white drawing of a man standing on a bridgea drawing of a man in a suit and tiean image of a painting of a square on a white walla picture of a picture of a building with a lot of rocksa picture of a picture of a town in a picture framea picture of a picture of a town on the walla black and white drawing of a city with a horsea picture of a picture of a cat with a tennis racketa picture of a painting of a desert scenea picture of a picture of a city in a picture framea picture of a picture of a city with a bridgea picture of a picture of a city with a bridgeframed picture of a view of a town with a clock toweran image of a painting of a man on a horse and a woman on a horsean image of a blue and white sign on the side of a buildinga picture of a bathroom with a toilet and a sinka picture of a picture of a man on a boata picture of a blue and white sign on a wall
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VICHY ENCHERES

100 - Maurits Cornelis ESCHER (1898–1972). The Bridge. 1930. Litho…
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Estimate €25,000 - €30,000
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Description
Maurits Cornelis ESCHER (1898–1972). The Bridge. 1930. Lithograph. W. 378 x H. 535 mm. Bool, Locher and Wierda 134. A fine print on vellum, signed and numbered in pencil, heavily sun-faded. A narrow, whiter strip along the edges of the sheet. Two small water stains on the right-hand margin, adjacent to the subject and visible on the reverse. Two further small water stains on the reverse, one of which is faintly visible on the bridge on the obverse. Several faint, soft horizontal creases across the subject. A few fine, short, scattered handling creases. A small hole (caused by a framing nail) in the top right-hand corner. All margins [483 x 640 mm]. Edition of 60 prints. ‘Escher planned to publish an illustrated book on the Abruzzo region, which is why, in the spring of 1929, he undertook a second journey to this region, which is, after all, so inhospitable. The letter of 4 May, written just before his departure and addressed to Bas Kist, is full of poetry: ‘I have got into the habit of undertaking this sort of expedition every spring to refresh my mind and body and to find new inspiration for my work in the months ahead. It’s a pity we can’t go on these trips together! I know of no greater joy than wandering through these valleys and over these hills, from village to village, feeling the effect that this unadorned nature has on me, and delighting in all that is unexpected and ‘never imagined’, all of which stands in such stark contrast to the daily grind at home. The unpleasant things – a bed not entirely free of vermin, food of rather mediocre quality – all of this seems to us not only necessary, but even indispensable to our joys. I often think of the time when, later on, I shall set out on these expeditions in the company of my son (or sons); for children, this must be one of the greatest joys one can imagine.” Unfortunately, the book on the Abruzzi never saw the light of day; on the other hand, Escher left us a portfolio of prints… ” (J. R. Kist, in J. L. Locher, ed., The Life and Work of M. C. Escher, Amsterdam, Meulenhoff and Paris, Éditions du Chêne, 1981, p. 34). “Escher called this print his first ‘tinkering’; it was a composition known as ‘the Abruzzi’.” (Op. cit., p. 331). Provenance: probably purchased from an art gallery in Château d’Oex, Switzerland, as there is a label on the reverse of the work reading ‘Photo DEVAUX Château d’Oex’ Expert: Ms Hélène Bonafous-Murat
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About the sale BEAUTIFUL LIVE SALE OF PAINTINGS, FURNITURE & OBJETS D'ART
Auction location
Auction time 08/13/2026 at 1:45 PM
Ref. : 0013 - 151
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