My Little Town

Valognes is seen down its main street, the rue de Fantasie (now boulevard Félix Buhot), looking towards the Church of Saint-Malo. The streets are wet, the umbrellas are out, as are the dogs, and it is a typical day in a small Norman village. It is the artist’s hometown, and his affection for it is evident. Valognes in medieval times was an important stopping point for pilgrims bound to Rome and the Holy Land. By the nineteenth century, however, it had become an impoverished town whose better days were in the past. Buhot was the most important figure to have come from the town in ages, the only other being the novelist Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly, in whose books— several of which he illustrated—Buhot found a kindred fantasy-laden spirit.

Félix Buhot
French, 1847–1898

Private collection

1872

This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.

Etching, drypoint, aquatint, and stop-out
State two of four
Image: 4 x 5 3/4 inches
Plate: 4 9/16 x 6 1/4 inches