GUSTAVE LE GRAY & AUGUSTE MESTRAL - The Ramparts of Carcassonne

THE ARTWORK

The Ramparts of Carcassonne (1851) is a notable photograph taken by Gustave Le Gray and Auguste Mestral as part of the Missions Héliographiques, a government-sponsored project aimed at documenting France's architectural heritage. Carcassonne, a medieval fortified city in southern France, was a significant subject due to its historical and cultural importance. The image captures the imposing medieval ramparts with remarkable clarity and detail, using the wet-collodion process, an innovative technique at the time.

Le Gray’s mastery of light and composition is evident in how the photograph emphasizes the towering structures, casting dramatic shadows that highlight the textures of the stone walls. Mestral’s contribution, rooted in his sculptor’s eye for form, complements this by ensuring the historical essence of the architecture is well-preserved in the image.

The Ramparts of Carcassonne reflects the collaboration between Le Gray’s technical expertise and Mestral’s artistic sensibilities, making it both a documentary achievement and an aesthetically powerful work of early photography.

THE ARTIST

Gustave Le Gray (1820–1884) and Auguste Mestral (1812–1884) were pioneering French photographers who played significant roles in the early development of photography in the mid-19th century. Le Gray, trained as a painter before turning to photography, became one of the most influential figures in the photographic world, known for his technical innovations and artistic approach to the medium. He is particularly famous for advancing the wet-collodion process and for developing combination printing, which allowed for capturing both the sky and the landscape in a single image with remarkable clarity and detail.

Le Gray’s seascapes, like The Great Wave, Sète (1857), are among his most celebrated works, praised for their dramatic compositions and manipulation of light. His ability to blend scientific precision with aesthetic beauty established him as a master in both technical and artistic realms of photography.

Auguste Mestral, on the other hand, collaborated with Le Gray as part of the Missions Héliographiques project in 1851, which was commissioned by the French government to document historical architecture across France. Mestral, originally a sculptor, contributed to this project by photographing cathedrals, castles, and other structures. His work, while less well-known than Le Gray’s, provided an invaluable visual record of France’s architectural heritage during a time of modernization. Together, they helped define photography as an artistic and documentary tool.

THE PRINT

• A4 Size = 29.7cm x 21cm = 11.7" x 8.25"
• A3 Size = 42cm x 29.7cm = 16.5" x 11.7"
• High resolution giclée print - 600dpi
• Printed to order
• Unframed & unmounted
• Professionally printed using Canon imagePROGRAF printers
• Digitally restored by OharaPrints from high resolution scans of the original artwork
• Made in and shipped from Casterton, Victoria, Australia

PAPER

• Canson Infinity - Arches BFK Rives White
• Paper weight = 310gsm
• 100% cotton
• Archival, museum grade
• Acid free
• No OBAs (optical brightening agents)

Arches BFK Rives is a high-quality, archival-grade paper manufactured at the Arches paper mill in France - one of the oldest papermakers in Europe. It is made from 100% cotton rag using a time-honoured manufacturing process, giving the paper exceptional durability, longevity, and resistance to yellowing or deterioration over time. Despite its substantial weight and thickness it maintains a very soft and supple feel. The paper has a natural white tone and is completely free of any optical brighteners (OBAs), allowing for superb colour rendition and deep blacks.

INK

• Canon Lucia Pro Inks
• Pigment based
• Archival, museum-grade
• Brilliant colours, even gradient and razor-sharp lines
• Highly stable and fade resistant, excellent humidity-fastness

SHIPPING & HANDLING

• All orders are dispatched on the NEXT BUSINESS DAY after receiving the order
• All prints are shipped via AUSTRALIA POST with TRACKING
• For postage rates and estimated delivery times please see our SHIPPING page
• All prints are shipped flat, not rolled
• Each print is individually placed into a resealable, archival grade plastic protective sleeve
• Prints are carefully packaged in very sturdy 700gsm cardboard envelopes, along with 1050gsm boxboard sheets which provide extra strength & rigidity to prevent bending or folding during transit