John Piper, C.H. (1903-1992)

Taillebourg is a small historic town which is located beside the Charente River in south west France. Above the settlement is an architecturally modified clifftop which, formerly the site of a fortified château, is now occupied by a neoclassical Mairie (town hall) and a park, both of which are visible in the present work.

Piper visited the Charente region on more than one occasion in the late 1950s and the present work is likely to date from 1957. The artist made a lithograph, Château de Taillebourg (Levinson 111 - one of a small group of stylistically distinctive prints depicting French towns) which is closely related to the present work and was published in 1958.

S.L.