International studio (35.1908)

Brittany as a Sketching-Ground



“CONCARNEAlj”
land of soft greys and greens, in colouring and
tree form resembling England rather than France ;
of wild and desolate coast whose rugged outline is
broken again and again by bays and inlets, as
those of Douarnenez, de la Forest and Quiberon;
lonely moors where weird Druidical stones stand
stark against the sky, notably at Carnac; deep
valleys where oak and beech border the rushing
streams, whose waters turn the most-grown mill-
wheels of a bygone age;
the architecture of towns,
ancient and modern, of
churches with their lace-
like structure of perforated
stone, typically Breton, of
timbered houses, of great
chateaux known in story,
of harbours big and small
with all the strenuous life
of the seafaring folk; the
sardine boats, and the
forest of masts of the
shipping at Nantes; the
peat-gathering at the bogs
of Grand Briere; the
apple-gathering and the
cider-press ; these are but
a few of the many attrac-
tions contained in the pen-
insula which forms Brit-
tany, bounded to thenorth,
south and west by the sea. “ lannion ”

Of all the artist resorts
of Brittany the most
famous is Pont Aven, “ la
ville de renom, quatorze
moulins, quinze maisons,”
according to the local
guide, whose veracity,
however, leaves grave
room for doubt, as houses
are springing up with
mushroom-like rapidity in
all directions. The queen
of the town is Mile. J ulia
Guillon, and her celebrated
Hotel des Voyageurs is its
centre. Very many years
ago when Pont Aven was
really a village, where
artists abounded and
tourists were few, Mile.
BY W. H. CHARLTON .
Julia opened a small hotel.
Here congregated painters
from many lands, Bohemian in ways and dress,
the latter more often than not a modification
of the Breton, even to the sabots. Gradually the
panelled salle-a-mati^er became picture-panelled,
and now forms a little collection of which any
art-lover might be proud, for all who contributed
gave of their best to beautify the little hotel of the
kind-hearted woman who gave a helping hand
to many a poor struggling artist. Now the little

FROM A PENCIL DRAWING BY W. H. CHARLTON

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