NOW FOR SALE. Please email info@1930.fr for price. **** S O L D 24 July 10pm french hour ****

I have bought this painting 4 years ago to an antique dealer in the center of France. This painting was from his personal collection and had never been proposed for sale. Size is 233cm x 166cm. (91" x 65"). It is oil on canvas.

When I bought it, I was impressed of course by the size, by the power of the theme and of course by the talent of the painter. This painting was not signed... but obviously done by an important painter.

I had no idea of what I could find about it....

My first work few days after I bought the painting was to try to understand the composition.

- 2 workers working on a steel rod...

- 2 men on the side of the mountain, showing....we don't know what...

- A river....

Finally not so many info...and I told myself : "Forget ! Nice painting... you will never know what it is, but still wonderful decorative work. Keep it for you !"... and I put it in my home.

Two months later... the dealer I bought the painting from, called me : "Hello Jean... Do you know ! I forget to tell you... I have the other part of this painting in the basement of my home. I was about to put it to the garbage because it is in very bad condition and finally thought that maybe you could be interested in seing it.... Please let me know".

First reaction was doubt : "Other part ? What is other part ?"... Anyway, 100km from home ! I decided to go to see...

I arrived to the dealer home... and then ... crazy surprise :  4 meters x 6 meters painting !!! ( 13' x 20' )

On the picture below you can see with more precision what is this part :

Just Imagine the surprise when I understood that my painting was a fragment of a crazy fresco more than 8 meters high !!! (more than 26').
This fragment had been restored and placed on wood frame.

 I took the fresco with me... I have got it !!!

At this point something new appeared for investigation.

It was evidence that this painting depicts construction of a bridge.
Bridge over a river....
But still questions :

What is this bridge ?
What are doing the 2 men on the mountain side... ok... they are showing the bridge... but who are they ?
Why the workers are working on iron / steel ?

I decided to try to find info on this bridge.

For this I found on the web a wonderful website : http://en.structurae.de

This is an international database and gallery of structures. All over the world....
And I started to work hours and hours watching all the stone arch bridges in France in order to try to find what it the one on the fresco.

After many time I finally found MY bridge : ESCOT bridge.

This bridge is the ONLY that can be compared to the one on the painting. There is no doubt possible. Some architectural details not visible on the pictures I provide here are giving certitude that bridge is Escot.




Click here for detailed information about this bridge en Structurae website

Many interesting informations finally answered my questions :

1 / Architectes of the bridge were 2 :
Debats and Senthiles.... No doubt they are the 2 men on the mountain side.
2/ This bridge was for railway... We now understand why the workers are working on metal.
3/ The river is Escot


Many other info and pictures on : Viaduc d'Escot website.

So at this point, we know we have a painting depicting the building of a french bridge in the south of France.

But at this point of my investigation

1/ I still don't know what a so huge painting was for !

2/ I still don't know who is the painter. The lower left part of the fresco is missing.... probably destroyed... with the signature !

My hypothesis at this point is this one.

Escot bridge was an important part of a railway project that was to build a line from France to spain.

This line was built and finally inaugurated by french president and Spain King in 1928.

The painting I have now is probably an order by train company or maybe by architect. It was probably displayed in a station or official building. (There is plaster on the reverse side of linen. No doubt that this painting have been displayed long time in a building.).

There are several strong cuts that have been professionally restored on the faces of the workers. I think it was damages caused during 1936 civil war. The painting is obviously inspirated by Basque school. Many painters very well known could be the artist who did our painting. Aurelio Arteta ? Gustavo de Maeztu ? Velentin de Zubiaurre ?

Maeztu is well known for his works on frescos. Several are still in Place in Bilbao... heart of Basque county in Spain.
In 1936, during the war, many Basque culture elements were destroyed... Maybe the reason of these cuts on the workers face. Maybe the reason why this fresco disappeared from his place.

There is no doubt that one day it will be possible to find more info about it. Such a painting was important painting for important place. Just a question of time. I prefer now to give this powerful heritage to the next person who, like me, will spend hours and hours to find the next info ! Good luck !

On this very special point of view angle you can see the cuts on the faces
of workers. This view was difficult to catch with special light.