The artwork
This black-and-white lithograph illustrates the profile view and the map of the tunnel running through the Alps from Bardonecchia, Italy, to Modane, France. The profile (top) shows the heights of the mountains and the depth of the tunnel. The map (bottom) shows political borders, towns, railways, roads, topography and drainage. It includes a scale: 1 to 25,000 for lengths and 1 to 12,500 for heights.
Construction began on 15 August 1857, and the tunnel was opened on 17 September 1871. It was an ambitious engineering feat, being twice as long as any tunnel previously built. Its completion was accelerated by the introduction of new technologies such as pneumatic drills and dynamite, and it marked a new era of interaction between France and Italy, including the expansion of international trade.
The author, Germain Sommeiller, born in Saint-Jeoire, France, was Royal Civil Engineer at the Savoy Department of Public Transport. He was one of the three designers and site directors of the Fréjus railway tunnel, and specialised in applications of compressed air, designing a type of drill. After the annexation of Savoy to France in 1860, he chose to become an Italian rather than a French citizen. He was later elected a member of the first Italian Parliament.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
