International studio (35.1908)

“OLD HOUSE, LAMBALLE

costume, and a foreground of river and reflections,
is a picture ready made. Numerous quaint bridges
cross the Isole, the smaller river, but the finest
spans the Elle, a heavy stone structure of three
arches and great buttresses, picturesque with the
touch of time. Alongside runs a wide platform of
shallow stone steps, where the washerwomen of the
town ply their trade, and are often the unwitting
models in many a sketch.
Quimperle is noted for the
beauty of its women, and, I
regret to add, for the impish-
ness of its juveniles.
Very rich in architectural
subjects is the surrounding
country. Northward Le
Faouet and its curious Chapel
of St. Barbe (perched high
above the river), with its great
arch and curious outer stair
leading to the belfry, should
certainly be visited. From
here one may go westwards to
Quimper, which is full of
quaint corners and possesses
the finest Gothic church
in Brittany. The Musee
contains an interesting col-
lection of Breton costumes.
To the south-east again Hen-
nebont, on the Blavet, offers
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a varied programme of
good things. Almost a
seaport, boats of consider-
able size are continually
to be found lying along-
side its quays; like Con-
carneau it has a Ville
Close with fortifications,
gateways, towers,and some
remarkably fine examples
of timbered houses, with
a surrounding country of
great beauty.
Proceeding farther to the
south-east Auray should be
visited for its fine market
scenes. The market hall
is a grand old timbered
building, roofed with great
wooden rafters. Here the
lights and shadows love
to play, and what a delight-
fully varied scene is their
playground ! Stalls piled up with fruit of glow-
ing colours, vegetables, eggs, live-stock, even to
calves and sheep, drapery, scrap-iron, second-
hand garments, sweets of gaudy hue, all find a
place, and the peasant, if in costume, is the most
gaily bedight of any in Brittany. Here, too, takes
place in July, on the birthday of the Virgin Mary’s
mother, one of the most celebrated of the “pardons,”


‘a street in quimperle

BY W. H. CHARLTON