The Old Woman by the Well

Vieille Femme au Puits (original French title)

Color aquatint on Arches laid paper.
Reference: BN-IFF 14.
Edition of 50.
Signed and numbered "7/50" in pencil.

 This water well was located in the city of Le Mans in France; more precisely on the Rue de la Verrerie.  We have added a reproduction of a postcard of this well, which seems to have been published in 1907.  Our print, by Eugene Delatre, which was etched in 1902 seems to come before the photograph was taken.  It begs the question whether the photographer knew the print and decided that a photograph of the same subject would be a welcome historic or touristy memento.  The photograph is taken from the exact same vantage point as Delatre's composition.  While a coincidence is possible, and the narrow street certainly made this diagonal vantage point the most picturesque, it still seems probable that the photographer was familiar with Delatre's print.