Cathedral Spires Appraisal

Street Scene with Cathedral Spires (Pastel)

This is an original pastel drawing depicting a European street scene, likely in France, given the architectural style suggestive of a Gothic cathedral in the background. The artwork is framed, with the visible image area showcasing a narrow, winding cobblestone street flanked by aged, multi-story buildings on both sides. The buildings exhibit varying facades, with some featuring prominent timber framing typical of older European architecture, while others have plastered or painted exteriors in muted tones of grey, brown, white, and a touch of reddish-orange near the bottom right. Shopfronts are visible along the street, though details are indistinct. A lone figure, possibly a woman, is depicted walking in the mid-ground, adding a sense of scale and human presence to the composition. In the distance, prominently featured above the rooftops, are the soaring twin spires of a grand cathedral, rendered in lighter tones with intricate architectural details, suggesting stone construction. The sky above is a light, ethereal blue with faint cloud indications. The artist has skillfully used pastel as the medium, evident in the soft blending and nuanced color transitions, particularly in the sky and the atmospheric perspective used to render the distant cathedral. The piece appears to be signed 'E. Callow' in the lower right corner. In the lower-left corner, there is a handwritten number '118', possibly indicating an edition number if this is a limited-edition print or part of a series, although the technique strongly suggests an original drawing. The artwork is housed under glass within a simple wooden frame, which is reddish-brown in color, and a cream-colored mat surrounds the image. The condition appears good, with no obvious signs of significant damage to the artwork itself, though the frame shows some minor wear consistent with age. The overall aesthetic suggests a mid-20th-century style, possibly between the 1940s and 1970s, characterized by an impressionistic or illustrative approach to landscape and architectural rendering.