[From the Community Collection, a public trust in Agincourt, Iowa]

DONAT [early 20th century]

“Le Canal” / The Canal

circa 1920

color woodcut on paper / 9.75 inches by 12 inches

Many have speculated on the pencilled name of the artist on this serene but severely abused woodcut. The consensus is “Donat”, but that has not helped. The title is clear, however — “Le Canal” — and the subject is likely one of the many rural canals in France, possibly the Canal du Midi, which connects the Mediterranean with the Garonne River at Toulouse and then on to the Bay of Biscay.

This print is currently not on display due to the foxing and light soiling around the edge of the image. It awaits conservation.