Four Character Costume prints
Recently found in South-Western France. These prints speak for themselves and immediately evoke strong expressive personas within the drawings. Many subjects are within, even horses, cabbages, chickens and romance, unlikely combinations for a fashion blog! Much research was needed as I had no idea of the details, or history of any of them.
The most prominent one for information that inspired me is called Homme & Femme de Pont – L’abbe, and so a small paragraph has evolved from my findings, with a little imagination as well. This came from finding a wonderful history/fiction book about this region of France. Something of me knowing nothing came to information about this, and I share it with you! The only way to explain where this particular place is to add a little map. Pont l’Abbe is a commune in the department of Finistere, in the coastal region of Brittany, France.
See link for a modern website on Pont l’Abbe at the bottom of this post.
Maries de Kerlouan (Finistere). The Artists signature is not quite visable.
Can anyone identify this name?
Homme & Femme de Pont – Labbe (Finistere).
I mentioned a HORSE and a CHICKEN drawn by the same artist. The region is Bretagne, north west France.
Along the towpath: An old pedestrian walk for about 4 km, winds along the river Pont l’Abbe. A present day site for bird watching, especially herons. At the end of the road is a stone ruin of a house, probably built in the late 18oo’s. It was long ago abandoned and partly destroyed, it was then stripped leaving the shell for ramblers to wonder at it’s past. The vegetation around the house had completely invaded. The house is known as Pont-Abbistes as the “White House”. It is said that it was a bar and a small grocery store which serviced crews for boats that came to dock at the pier nearby. Inhabited by Fishermen and their wives who fed them well from the inlets by the sea on seakelp, sardines and chickens! An inland Mill was also in this area and provided work. Women had great talent in embroidery and traditional costumes were worn for many occasions.
This print shows a food expedition. Her white linen/cotton headdress would have been tied around her head to stop it flapping about in the wind while on horseback. Striking colours of green, pink, yellow and purple, making the background colour even duller. A fishing line shows to the left of the rider. The horse is splashing along the edge of the water by the brown sea kelp/seaweed. Bundled across his saddle is a large black sack full of this sea kelp, and he also probably had a large haul of sardines for supper , depriving the sea birds of a few. The chicken must have come from the village store/the old house. I think this print came from an illustrated book by a well informed person.
A larger segment of this charater print shows an enormous amount of detail.
In great subject contrast, comes from another print, found on the same day. Thought provoking is this lady of rural France!
Patches, tear and wear are captured showing the rural reality of life working in France on the land. This shawl did not give much protection for this heavy load on her shoulders. All green vegetables , were carried from the fields by hand, including cabbages, kale, turnips, potatoes and more.
Alsacien et Alsacienne
This larger view reveals his pipe, and he is holding a flower for his lady.
This is a very good modern web site for Pont l’Abbe.
http://otpa.oziolab.fr/fr/incontournables/visites-a-pont-l-abbe
Coat of Arms for the regions of France
Brittany Flag