This little etching has lurked in the collection for years and it is satisfying to be able to give it a name and tell its story. It depicts the porch of the church of St Gilles, in Caen which was founded in the eleventh century. As is usually the case, it underwent additions and alterations across the subsequent centuries. In July 1944 it was destroyed by allied bombing during the Battle of Caen. It was not re-built and the one remaining wall was preserved as a picturesque ornament in what is now a small public garden. 

Below is our etching, two photographs of the porch, and finally the view today.