Vernayaz Valais, c.1870 — Signed Drypoint of the Trient Gorge and Bridge

Description

Vernayaz Trient Gorge Signed Drypoint

This signed drypoint depicts the Trient Gorge and its stone bridge near Vernayaz, in the Swiss canton of Valais. The torrent runs between steep rocky slopes, with the bridge and buildings set among the Alpine landscape.

The impression is signed in ink by Dumaresque and carries a handwritten dedication: “À mon ami A. Diday, souvenir affectueux” (“To my friend A. Diday, affectionate remembrance”). If the recipient is François Diday (1802–1877), the dedication suggests that the print was made before 1877; the circa 1870 dating is therefore tentative.

Printed on laid paper.

• Technique: drypoint

• Location depicted: Vernayaz, Trient Gorge and bridge, Valais, Switzerland

• Proposed date: circa 1870, likely before 1877 if the recipient is François Diday

• Sheet size: 26.4 × 17.5 cm

• Plate mark: 14.1 × 8.54 cm

• Signature and dedication: handwritten in ink

• Paper: laid