Langlois Bridge At Arles Print

Few subjects in Vincent van Gogh’s Arles period are as instantly recognizable as the drawbridge often called the “Langlois Bridge.” Because Van Gogh did not create editioned prints of this motif himself, the works most collectors encounter are reproductions made after the paintings. Some of these are high-quality, historically interesting prints with real market value; others are décor-grade posters or modern inkjets. This guide explains how to identify what you have, date it, assess condition and value, and prepare it for appraisal.

Why most “Langlois Bridge at Arles” prints are reproductions

In 1888, while living in Arles, Van Gogh painted multiple views of a wooden drawbridge on the Arles canal—commonly called the Langlois Bridge (the structure reconstructed today is known as the Pont Van Gogh). He executed several canvases and drawings of the subject, including versions with women washing linen on the bank.

Key point for appraisers: Van Gogh produced very few original prints in his lifetime and none of the Langlois Bridge. Therefore, any “Langlois Bridge at Arles” you encounter as a print is a reproduction made after the paintings or drawings. Quality and market desirability vary widely depending on process, publisher, date, and state of preservation.

Broad categories you’re likely to see:

• Late 19th–early 20th century collotypes, photogravures, or chromolithographs by European art publishers (e.g., Braun & Cie., Hanfstaengl).
• Mid-20th century exhibition posters and offset lithographs (including those printed by Mourlot for museum shows).
• Second half 20th century offset prints by publishers such as New York Graphic Society, Shorewood, Skira, Park Lane.
• Contemporary giclée (inkjet) reproductions, sometimes marketed as “limited editions,” including textured facsimiles licensed by museums.

Understanding which you have hinges on technical examination and margin information.

Identification triage: quick visual tests that separate the good from the generic

Use a 10x loupe and good raking light. The following cues will classify most examples quickly.

• Offset lithography (posters/prints): Look for regular CMYK rosette patterns under magnification—tiny cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dots forming circular “flowers.” Margins often show a title, museum credit, publisher, and sometimes a date or printer credit (e.g., “Imp. Mourlot, Paris” for stone-printed posters, “Printed in U.S.A. by NYGS” for offset).
• Collotype: Continuous tone with very fine, granular reticulation but no rosette. Colors can be surprisingly nuanced. Early collotypes often have generous margins and a blindstamp or fine credit line such as “Braun et Cie.” The ink sits thinly on the paper without offset dots.
• Photogravure: If monochrome or duotone, look for a plate impression (beveled platemark) around the image and a warm, velvety ink character. True intaglio photogravures will show ink slightly pushed into the paper’s texture; color photogravures exist but are less common for this subject.
• Chromolithograph: Multiple color runs; may show slight mis-registration between colors, richer ink layers, and occasionally visible registration crosses near the margin. Common in late 19th–early 20th century portfolios.
• Serigraph (screenprint): Flat, solid color areas with possible raised ink edges at color boundaries; uncommon for Langlois Bridge reproductions but appears in some mid-century posters.
• Giclée (inkjet): No rosette; instead, irregular microscopic droplets and overspray at edges of color transitions. Often on bright white, smooth or canvas-textured substrates. Modern “limited edition” numbering is common; publisher’s certificates may accompany.

Other fast tells:

• A printed “Vincent” signature in the image area is normal (copied from the painting). A pencil “Vincent” signature in the margin is a red flag; Van Gogh did not hand-sign reproductions.
• Borders matter. Early fine reproductions usually have wide, untrimmed margins and discreet credits or blindstamps. Cropped or trimmed margins decrease value and obscure crucial information.
• Verso labels can be decisive. Museum shops, publishers, or galleries often applied labels detailing date, printer, or distributor.

Processes and publishers you’re likely to encounter

Knowing the major players streamlines identification and valuation.

• Braun & Cie. (Dornach, Paris): Specialists in collotype and color collotype, active from the late 19th century onward. Expect high-fidelity tonal range, thin inks, and fine credit lines such as “Braun & Cie” or blindstamps. Early examples can be collectable, particularly if mounted on original boards with embossed stamps.
• Franz Hanfstaengl (Munich): Produced excellent collotypes and photogravures of Old Masters and moderns in the early 20th century. Look for “Franz Hanfstaengl, München” in the margin.
• Goupil & Cie.: Historically linked to the Van Gogh family through Theo’s employment, Goupil produced photogravures and heliogravures; however, Langlois Bridge reproductions by Goupil are less frequently encountered than by Braun.
• Mourlot (Paris): Renowned stone printers of many 20th-century exhibition posters. The presence of “Imp. Mourlot” indicates a stone lithograph poster (distinct from generic offset). Posters after Van Gogh’s works printed by Mourlot are collected as original posters, even though the imagery is after the painting. Some were issued on finer paper for deluxe editions, occasionally with a Mourlot blindstamp.
• New York Graphic Society (NYGS), Shorewood Publishers, Skira, Park Lane: Mid-century to late-20th-century offset lithographs and posters. Usually include detailed credit lines along the lower margin, sometimes with a plate number or a publication date.
• Museum-authorized facsimiles: Recent decades saw “relievo” or textured giclées licensed by museums (e.g., Van Gogh Museum editions). These can carry holograms, serialized labels, and certificates; they are high-quality décor objects with a narrower collector market than historically significant print processes.

Paper clues:

• Watermarks such as “Arches France” or “BFK Rives” indicate better-quality paper. They appear in deluxe posters or lithographs but are not proof of a hand-pulled, limited-edition fine print unless other criteria align (printer credit, blindstamp, documentation).
• Smooth coated stock typically signals offset posters; matte, slightly textured wove often aligns with collotype or better offset editions.

Dating, editions, and markings: reading the margins

Margin information is your roadmap. Record everything in the lower and side margins and on the verso.

• Publisher and printer credits: “Braun et Cie,” “Franz Hanfstaengl,” “NYGS,” “Shorewood,” “Imp. Mourlot.” Pair these with typographic style to approximate date ranges (e.g., sans serif caps and zip-coded addresses generally post-1963 in the U.S.).
• Edition statements: True limited editions carry pencil numbering (e.g., 45/300) and sometimes a publisher’s blindstamp. Many exhibition posters were not numbered; later “deluxe” restrikes on better paper may be numbered but should still show proper printer credits. Beware modern offset prints with spurious numbering intended to imply scarcity.
• Signatures: Van Gogh did not sign reproduced prints. Any “Vincent” in pencil in the margin is almost certainly later and non-authorial. Printer or publisher signatures are rare. Some Mourlot posters bear a Mourlot blindstamp but are not signed by artists whose work they reproduce.
• Language and legal lines: Copyright notices, museum names, and licensing statements assist dating. For example, “Printed in France” with old-style phone numbers suggests mid-century; modern editions may display “© Van Gogh Museum” and serial labels.
• Plate marks and blindstamps: Intaglio photogravures show platemarks. Collotypes and offsets do not. Blindstamps (embossed stamps) from publishers, printers, or distributors add confidence.

Provenance documents:

• Invoices from museum shops, galleries, or auction houses support dating.
• Certificates issued by licensed facsimile programs (with holographic seals or QR codes) are common for modern giclées.

Condition and the market: what affects value

Condition ranks alongside process and provenance for valuation. Common issues in older reproductions:

• Light staining, mat burn, and overall toning from acidic mats or sun exposure.
• Foxing (brown spots) from humidity and poor storage.
• Surface abrasions, scuffs, and handling creases—especially on posters.
• Trimmed margins or dry-mounted works that cannot be safely lifted from backing without risk.
• Tape staining and pressure-sensitive adhesives bleeding through.
• Fading: Dyes used in some mid-century offsets are light-sensitive; uneven coloration (ghost lines at mat windows) signals past exposure.

Conservation considerations:

• Seek a conservator for deacidification, foxing reduction, and safe removal of non-archival backings. Do not attempt solvent or heat treatments at home.
• Reframe with UV-filtering glazing, lignin-free mats, and reversible hinges. Keep out of direct sunlight.

Value ranges (broad guidance; local markets vary):

• Early 20th-century collotypes/photogravures by reputable houses (Braun, Hanfstaengl), in good condition with margins: often modest but collectible—commonly low hundreds, higher if scarce, documented, and pristine.
• Mourlot-printed exhibition posters after Van Gogh: generally stronger demand. Depending on image, date, paper, and condition, these can range from a few hundred to low thousands. Posters featuring famous images and early printings command premiums.
• Mid-century offset prints (NYGS, Shorewood) and museum-shop posters: typically tens to low hundreds; exceptional, early, or out-of-print examples in fine condition may exceed that.
• Modern giclées, even if numbered: largely décor value unless part of a well-documented, limited museum facsimile program; typical retail is not indicative of secondary-market price.

As always, specific comparables—same image, same publisher, same state—are the best predictors.

Practical appraisal strategy

• Identify process and publisher first; that establishes the lane (historical print, exhibition poster, recent facsimile).
• Confirm edition status: numbered vs open, true hand-pulled vs offset.
• Evaluate margins and text: full margins and intact credit lines significantly stabilize value.
• Photograph systematically: full front (unframed if possible), all margins, credits, watermarks (backlit), blindstamps, verso labels, and condition issues under raking light.
• Build comparables set: focus on the exact publisher/printer combination; posters and reproductions see wide variance by edition.

Practical checklist

• Loupe test: rosette (offset) vs reticulation (collotype) vs droplets (giclée).
• Margin audit: publisher, printer, title, museum credit, date, edition, blindstamps.
• Paper & platemark: watermark present? platemark (photogravure) or none?
• Signature reality check: printed “Vincent” in image is normal; pencil “Vincent” is not authentic.
• Condition scan: foxing, toning, mat burn, tears, creases, trimming, adhesive stains.
• Verso evidence: labels, pencil notes, dealer stamps, inventory numbers.
• Measurements: image size and sheet size to compare against known formats.
• Provenance: receipts, catalog entries, certificates (especially for licensed facsimiles).
• Storage plan: archival materials, UV glazing, avoid direct sun and humidity.

FAQ

Q: Is any “Langlois Bridge at Arles” print an original Van Gogh? A: No. Van Gogh painted and drew the subject but did not issue editioned prints of it. All such prints are reproductions after his work, though some (e.g., Mourlot-printed posters, early collotypes) are collectible in their own right.

Q: My print has a pencil “Vincent” signature. Does that increase value? A: It likely decreases credibility. Van Gogh did not hand-sign reproductions; a pencil “Vincent” is almost certainly added later and is not artist-authenticated. Value depends on publisher, process, and condition—not on a spurious signature.

Q: What’s the difference between a Mourlot poster and an offset poster? A: A Mourlot-printed poster is a stone lithograph produced at the Mourlot studio and is considered an original poster (though after a painting). Many other posters are offset lithographs; they can look similar but show CMYK rosettes under magnification and typically carry lower market values.

Q: Are museum-licensed giclées collectible? A: They are high-quality décor with strong retail presence. Secondary-market values are usually modest unless part of a tightly limited, well-documented facsimile program. They should not be conflated with historical collotypes, gravures, or mid-century exhibition posters.

Q: How much is my print worth? A: It depends on process (collotype, photogravure, stone litho poster, offset, giclée), publisher/printer, edition status, condition, and comparables. Provide clear photos of margins, credits, and condition to an appraiser for a specific estimate.

Final note: Because so many variations exist across decades of reproduction, appraisal hinges on reading the physical evidence. If you can document process, publisher, and state with good photography and retain margins and labels, you will have already answered most of the value-critical questions an appraiser will ask.