The Pont-Vieux (Old Bridge) dates from the 13th century and spans the River Bévéra. This is one of a number of pictures Knighton-Hammond painted of this iconic bridge. Sospel is a beautiful little town up in the Maritime Alps on the salt route between Nice and Turin. The picturesque qualities of the town would have been a major attraction for the artist. In the 1920s when this watercolour was painted the journey would have involved a bus ride from Knighton-Hammond’s home in Cap Martin along the Mediterranean coast to nearby Menton followed by an adventurous trip 15km north up into the Alps to Sospel. The journey backdown the Alps from Sospel is a little scary today with modern public transport so in Knighton-Hammond’s time around the hairpin bends on the sides of mountains would have been nail biting! Executed en plein air the artist exploits the special qualities of watercolour to convey light and space. Primarily this is an architectural study where the elements combine great freedom with great accuracy.