Ancient Doorway Cordes

Image size = 535 x 355

Mounted Limited Edition of 650 (unsigned), published in May 2002

Supplied in an elegant double mount.
Founded as a fortess in 1222 by Court Raymond VII of Toulouse, a distant ancestor of Toulouse-Latrec, the medieval hillside town of Cordes-sur-Ciel, twenty six kilometres north east of Toulouse in south west France was a popular and inspiring location for Sir William. He greatly admired its antiquity and produced a series of pictures of the town including 'Market Hall, Cordes' which was published by The Medici Society in 1963 as a signed limited edition. Ancient Doorway, Cordes is a fine example of that combination of figures and architecture so admired by collectors. As usual Sir William would have painted the doorway and the statue on the spot whilst the figures were added later from models in the studio. He was quite deliberate in the number of models depicted as he found an odd number of figures balanced better than an even number. "For centuries the trio has been an attraction; thrice three Muses, three Goddesses or three Graces. Now I have my own three washerwomen, three gypsies, three bathers or, more simply, three models - in theory at least - to my slightest caprice."