Good impression on laid paper. Deep plate mark and wide margins. A view of Courtrai, with a bridge with a round tower at either end (the Broeltorens); a basilica in the near distance to left; 'Courtrai' in a banner in the upper right corner. Illustration to 'Western Flanders' by Laurence Binyon and William Strang, published by the Unicorn Press in 1899. Born in Dumbarton, William Strang was briefly a clerk in the family shipbuilding firm before he entered the Slade School of Art in London in 1876. At the Slade he was deeply influenced by the teaching of Alphonse Legros, particularly the etching class which Legros instituted in 1877. The subject matter of Strang's etchings, largely produced between 1880 and 1900, ranges from intense portraits to scenes of working class life and imaginary grotesques. By the turn of the century, Strang was developing the symbolic themes of his printed work in oil paintings, using rich colours in a style ultimately influenced by Venetian art. (National Galleries Scotland) Bibliographic references Strang 1962 / William Strang, catalogue of his etchings and engravings (442) Strang 1906-23 / William Strang, catalogue of his etched work (353) Very fine condition.