Object of the Day: Sepia Ink Drawings of Dinan, 1865

Several years ago, I happened upon a collection of pages from the folio of an unknown mid-Nineteenth Century English artist. The folio had long been disassembled and sold in pieces. I purchased this page which features two labeled drawings in sepia-toned ink.

The uppermost drawing is labeled “Dinan from the Rue d’ l’Ecole. June 1st, 1865.” Dinan, a walled Breton town and commune in north-western France, is unusual in that it was not built in the valley like other towns, but rather into the hillside overlooking the River Rance. The drawing shows how the town was constructed at levels into the hill over centuries. Towers and crenellations dating from the Thirteenth Century are visible poking up across the skyline.

The lower drawing which is dated May 27th, 1865, shows “La Garage near Dinan” which appears to be some sort of carriage house.

Dinan’s landscape has not changed considerably since these drawings were created. They’re in exceptionally good condition. It makes me wonder what the others in the folio must have looked like.