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 BAUMAN, Sebastian
To His Excellency Genl. Washington Commander in Chief of the Armies of the United States of America. This Plan of the investment of York and Gloucester has been surveyed and laid down, and is Most humbly dedicated by his Excellency's Obedient and very humble servant, Sebastn. Bauman, Major of the New York or 2nd Regt of Artillery
Philadelphia: 1782. Copper engraving, with original hand-colouring. A "References to the British Lines" is set within a scroll in the upper right-hand corner. At lower center is a Lengthy key or "Explanation" of the battlefield, which identifies and describes eighteen key locations on the battlefield. The explanation is set within a rococo frame, which in turn is enclosed by the flags of the United States and France, cannon, arms, and other spoils of battle. Some minor creases on verso from previous folding, restoration to margins beyond platemark. Image size (including text): 25 1/2 x 17 7/16 inches. Sheet size: 27 x 18 7/8 inches.
"A cornerstone document of our national heritage" (Nebenzahl, Atlas, p. 184.)
Within three days of the British surrender on October 19, 1781, Major Sebastian Bauman, an American artillery officer, took the field and carefully surveyed the terrain and battle positions at Yorktown. A native of Germany, Bauman had emigrated to America after service in the Austrian army. During the Revolution, he served in the campaigns in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and was in command of the artillery at West Point, before joining Washington at the siege of Yorktown.
Bauman spent six days surveying the battlefield at Yorktown. His manuscript draft was quickly sent to Philadelphia where it was engraved by Robert Scot to be sold by subscription. The map was advertised in The New York Packet and the American Advertiser in March 1782:
Major Bauman of the New York, or Second Regiment of Artillery, Has Drawn a Map of the Investment of York and Gloucester, in Virginia. Shewing how those posts were besieged in form, by the Allied army of America and France; the British lines of defence, and the American and French lines of approach, with part of York River, and the British ships as they then appeared sunken in it before Yorktown; and the whole encampment in its vicinity./ This Map, by desire of many gentlemen, will shortly be published in Philadelphia, in order that the public may form an idea of that memorable siege. Those gentlemen who incline to become subscribers will apply to the printer hereof; where the conditions will be shewn, and subscription money be received.
This was the only detailed battle plan of Yorktown published in America. As a participant for the winning side, Bauman was able to spend more time surveying the field than the British engineers who were bottled up in Yorktown. Thus he was able to include an extensive area to the south of the town that does not appear on the best British plans, such as those published by Faden and Des Barres. The location of the French and American positions is necessarily more detailed and informed. As it appeared in print before the British plans, it was the first survey of the Siege of Yorktown made available to the American public.
Margaret Pritchard notes that the plan was also an effective piece of propaganda: "In addition to providing substantial detailed military information, this map is also interesting for its artistic composition. Yorktown, Gloucester Point, and troop positions are confined primarily to the top half of the map. The lower half is dominated by the explanation that is embellished with ornaments of war. The shape of the scrollwork cartouche surrounding the explanation, with flags and banners that thrust upward from boths sides, force the eye to the center of the image. Here, in an open space, is the very heart of the map, "The field where the British laid down their Arms." It is this field that is omitted from all of the British battle plans of Yorktown.
Bauman's plan is a legendary rarity which almost never appears on the market. It's scarcity is due to the fact that it was separately-published by subscription only. Relatively few sheets were printed, and very few of those survived. Wheat & Brun locate eight institutional copies, but not one in Virginia. To these, we can add four copies known to us in private American collections.
Perhaps Nebenzahl summarized the importance of the map the best: "Bauman's splendid map, dedicated to General Washington, reflects his formal European training in topographical engineering. It is the only American survey of the culmination of the great struggle for independence and a cornerstone document of our national heritage."
Alexander O. Vietor, The Bauman Map of the Siege of Yorktown; Schwartz & Ehrenberg, The Mapping of America, p. 199; Pritchard & Taliaferro, Degrees of Latitude, entry 68; Nebenzahl, A Bibliography of Printed Battle Plans of the American Revolution, entry 189; Nebenzahl, Atlas of the American Revolution, Map 48; Wheat & Brun, Maps and Charts Published in America Before 1800: A Bibliography, entry 541; Fite & Freeman, A Book of Old Maps, pp. 287-288; Stokes & Haskell, American Historical Prints, pp. 57-58; Virginia Magazine of History & Biography 39 (1931), reproduced opp. p. 104.
#20696 $250,000.00  
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 BAUR, C.F.
[The Americas] Neueste Karte von America.... New Chart of America showing the tracks and distances of steam vessels, with the distances to the principal ports of Europe, to the great Lines of Railway and the submarine Cables, constructed for the Use of Geographie [sic.] commercial.... Carte Nouvelle de l'Amerique...
Stuttgart: Julius Maier, circa 1885]. Tinted lithographic map, with title in German, English and French, with original outline colour, on six folding sheets, backed onto linen, and edged with blue cloth tape, in excellent condition, in modern blue cloth box. Sheet size: 63 1/2 x 48 1/2 inches.
A rare and highly detailed monumental wall map of the Western Hemisphere
This fascinating map excellently embodies the ethic of empiricist cartography that prevailed in the nineteenth-century. All of North and South America is depicted in great detail with very assured geographical accuracy for the time. A very attractive aesthetic effect is created, with landmasses tinted in a shade of orange, juxtaposed against the seas, which are coloured in a golden brown hue. The various political boundaries of the various states are outlined in bright, resplendent colours. The seas feature a wealth of hydrological information, most notably the great currents that traverse the oceans, notably the Humboldt Current in the Pacific and the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic. The lines of major shipping routes and the distances between key ports are also noted on the map.
The depiction of North America is most interesting, while the American west had by this time been settled in many areas, not all of its territories had yet been admitted into the Union as states. The Canadian Prairies are captured just before the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and the great wave of settlement that would result. The depiction of the Arctic is fascinating, as while the southern part of the Arctic Archepelago is charted, the most northerly regions, such as Ellesmere Island, are absent from the map, totally unknown to explorers. Alaska, which was purchased by the U.S. from Russia in 1867 is shown to be a complete wilderness.
The islands of the Caribbean are shown to be almost entirely under the colonial hegemony of the various European powers, and the nations of South America exhibit very different borders than the ones which we are familiar with today. Colombia still owned Panama, and straight, arbitrary lines mark the international boundaries in the heart of the continent - the still mysterious Amazon Basin. Bolivia is shown to own a piece of the Pacific Coast by the Atacama Desert, and Peru's borders extend further south than they do today. The map shows these countries as they appeared before the Pacific War (1881-3), during which Chile roundly defeated its northern neighbours, and seized three littoral provinces.
The map features six very interesting cartographic insets. In each of the top corners are insets of the polar regions showing both of these extremities of the globe to be somewhat enigmatic. Towards the lower left of the map is a detailed inset featuring the most populated region of the United States, the Washington-Boston corridor. Another inset depicts the elevation of the topography of North America, while towards the lower right of the map, another inset similarly details South America. A most curious aspect is featured in the final inset, an 'ethnographic map' of the Americas, which shows which parts of the hemisphere are inhabited by a majority of people of indigenous versus European ancestry.
#15162$3,500.00
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 BAUR COLLECTION. - John AYERS and others.
The Baur Collection
Geneva: Collections Baur, 1968-1984. Volumes I-IX, quarto (11 1/8 x 8 7/8 inches). Text in English and French. Numerous plates, most coloured, some folding. Original brown morocco, titled in gilt on spine, dust-jacket.
A very fine near complete set of the very rare de luxe leather-bound issue of this major Asian collection catalogue: here limited to 50 copies.
Alfred Baur (1865-1951) gave his collection to the foundation which bears his name shortly before he died. He began collecting in about 1907 and continued right up until his death, but little was known of the breadth and quality of his collection until the present catalogues were published:
The individual catalogues are as follows:
1. John AYERS. The Baur Collection ...Chinese Ceramics volume one (with Korean and Thai wares). Geneva 1968.
2. John AYERS. ... Chinese Ceramics volume two (Ming porcelain, and other wares). Geneva: 1969.
3. John AYERS. ....Chinese Ceramics volume three Monochrome-glazed porcelains of the Ch'ing dynasty. Geneva: 1972.
4. John AYERS. ....Chinese Ceramics volume four Painted and polychrome porcelains of the Ch'ing dynasty. Geneva: 1974.
5. Pierre-F. SCHNEEBERGER. ....Chinese Jades and other hardstones. Geneva: 1976.
6. Marie-Thérèse COULLERY & Martin S. NEWSTEAD. ....Netuske (selected pieces). Geneva: 1977.
7. B.W. ROBINSON. .... Japanese Sword-fittings and associated metalwork. Geneva: 1980.
8. John AYERS. ... Japanese Ceramics. Geneva: 1982.
9. Pierre F. SCHNEEBERGER. ... Japanese Lacquer (selected pieces). Geneva: 1984.
Since the appearance of the ninth volume in 1984 only two more volumes have been published (which are not included in the current set), these are: M. Forrer. Baur Collection ... Japanese Prints (Geneva: 1994), 2 volumes.
#16975$6,000.00
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 BEAURAIN, Jean Chevalier de (1696-1772, cartographer) - Georg Friedrich Jonas FRENTZEL (1754-1799, engraver)
[Greater Boston] Carte von dem Hafen und der Stadt Boston
Leipzig: Johann Carl Müller, 1776. Copper-engraved map, with troop positions highlighted in period colour, in excellent condition. Sheet size: 22 x 26 7/8 inches.
A very rare and highly decorative work, one of the most important Revolutionary War maps of Boston, that Krieger & Cobb cite as "the only German map of Boston [made] during the Revolutionary period."
The present map is an outstanding work on many levels. Boston and its environs are depicted on the eve of one of the most momentous events in American history, the Siege of Boston, which gave George Washington his first important victory. A great topographical work, the varied nature of the land is expressed with great virtuosity in finely engraved hachures. The superlative mapping of the coastline and the harbor is derived from J.F.W. Des Barres' "Map of the port of Boston."
The map captures the moment when British forces, still in control of Boston, prepare to face George Washington's Continental forces. Boston, on a narrow peninsula is shown to be in an increasingly precarious defensive position. In an improvement over its predecessor, Frentzel's edition makes a clear reference to the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775), noting the "Ruinen von Charles=town." Around the city, the placement of the respective forces is depicted with unparalleled accuracy, with the British troop lines highlighted in blue and the Continental troop lines in red. Three divisions of Washington's forces are placed with one at Cambridge, one at Charlestown Neck, and another above Roxbury. The observer will notice that the British commanders elected not to place troops atop Dorchester Heights. Washington later took this ground, giving him an irrepressible advantage over the British in the ensuing siege. The British were compelled to leave the city in March, 1776.
This second version is much rarer than Beaurain's original work which was printed earlier that year with French toponymy. Preserved in the present version, in the upper-right, is a highly decorative and iconographically emblematic title cartouche. Beaurain, in homage to the French sympathies to the rebel cause, depicts an Englishman cruelly trying to depose a banner from the Tree of Liberty, against the will of an indignant American.
Although the conflict inspired considerable interest in Germany, this map is the only German map of Boston printed there during the Revolutionary period. Late in 1776, Leipzig master-engraver G. F. J. Frentzel created a new edition of the map that was faithful to Beaurain's original, and it was printed as part of the Geographisches Belustigungen zur Erläuterung der neuesten Weltgeschichte, an extremely rare German book on the early days of the War of Independence.
Cresswell, The American Revolution in Drawings and Prints, 706; Krieger & Cobb, Mapping Boston, p.181, pl. 27; The Library of Congress Quarterly Journal no.30 (1973), pp.252-253; Nebenzahl, A Bibliography of Printed Battle Plans of the American Revolution, 19; Sellers & Van Ee, Maps & Charts of North America & West Indies, 924
#19226$37,500.00
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 BELL, E. after George MORLAND
Selling Peas; Selling Cherries
London: Published by T. Ladd, 12 July 1801. A pair of colour printed mezzotints with added hand colour. In excellent condition with the exception of being laid down and cut to the edge of the plate mark. A few skillfully mended tears in the margins. Image size: 18 3/8 x 24 inches. Sheet size: 19 3/4 x 24 3/4 inches approx.
A pair of beautiful images after Morland: 'a master of genre and animal painting, an artist worthy to be placed in the same rank as the best of those Dutch masters whom he studied as a boy' (DNB)
This pair is a wonderful example of the manner in which Morland perfectly conveys the beauty of country life. George Morland was one of the most successful genre painters of his time, creating, during his industrious career, some of England's most cherished paintings. At an early age Morland displayed his artistic genius, he learned to paint at three and exhibited his first work at the Royal Academy at the mere age of ten. Morland was a prodigious painter, producing more than 4000 paintings during the entirety of his career, and sometimes painting two or three works in a day. His beautiful idealistic scenes were a favorite source of inspiration for contemporary engravers, and as many as 250 separate engravings were done of his paintings during his lifetime.
This pair is a wonderful example of the manner in which Morland perfectly conveys the beauty of English country life, and by representing the gentler side of commerce, Morland depicts his vision of the rural ideal.
#6593$3,000.00
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 BELLASIS, George Hutchins
Plantation House, the Country Residence of the Governor [Pl. 4]
[Pl. 4]. London: G. H. Bellasis, 1815. Hand-coloured aquatint engraved by Robert Havell after drawings by Bellasis. Very good condition apart from some overall light soiling, a 5/8" tear and several losses along the edge of the left margin. Tape on verso slightly visible in corners of the sheet. Image size (including text): 10 3/4 x 13 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 12 5/8 x 17 1/2 inches.
A fine view of the "country residence of the Governor, situated in the most fertile and beautiful part of the Island....The grounds are laid out with great taste; a variety of oriental plants and shrubs grow intermixed with those of the more northern regions : the magnolia, minosa, myrtles thirty feet high, bamboo, gum tree, and cabbage tree, with the laurel, yew, cypress, fir, and oak; and also aloes in successive blossom." (Bellasis)
Originally founded by the Portuguese in 1502, St. Helena is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean 1,695 miles north west of Capetown and 4,477 miles from Southampton. After a brief occupation by the Dutch in 1672, it was colonized by the British East India Company, in whose control it remained for over two hundred years. The island reached the zenith of its fame with the arrival of an exiled Napoleon in October 1815. He lived at Longwood, an estate just outside Jamestown, until his death in May 1821.
At the time that Bellasis sketched the present view, St. Helena was considered a vital link in the chain of safe harbours needed for refitting ships on the busy trade route to India. In addition to its strategic geographic location, it was valued for its copious vegetation, abundant fruit trees, and the natural beauty of its mountainous and varied terrain. "Clear and wholesome springs issue from the sides of almost every hill, and the valleys abound with yams, potatoes, and water-cresses, which are grateful to mariners; and here it is worthy of remark, that four crops may be produced in the year, the climate being a perpetual spring..." (Bellasis, Intro. to Views of St. Helena).
Bellasis resided on St. Helena for eight months, during which time he sketched its diverse landscapes and inhabitants. Views of St. Helena was published on the eve of Napoleon's arrival, and it was Bellasis' hope that his illustrations would "at the present period..be the more interesting, when this singularly romantic Island is the appointed residence of one of the most extraordinary men recorded in the annals of History."
#12806$400.00
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 BELLASIS, George Hutchins
Scene Taken from the Castle Terrace [Pl. 3]
[Pl. 3]. London: G. H. Bellasis, 1815. Hand-coloured aquatint engraved by Robert Havell after drawings by Bellasis. Very good condition apart from some overall light soiling and a few small losses in the corners. Tape on verso slightly visible in corners and faint matburn inside platemark. Plate mark: 12 3/8 x 16 3/8 inches. Sheet size: 12 3/4 x 17 1/2 inches.
A fine view of the various buildings in St. James's Town, Saint Helena as seen from the Castle Terrace, a grand promenade frequently used by visitors during local parades.
Originally founded by the Portuguese in 1502, St. Helena is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean 1,695 miles north west of Capetown and 4,477 miles from Southampton. After a brief occupation by the Dutch in 1672, it was colonized by the British East India Company, in whose control it remained for over two hundred years. The island reached the zenith of its fame with the arrival of an exiled Napoleon in October 1815. He lived at Longwood, an estate just outside Jamestown, until his death in May 1821.
At the time that Bellasis sketched the present view, St. Helena was considered a vital link in the chain of safe harbours needed for refitting ships on the busy trade route to India. In addition to its strategic geographic location, it was valued for its copious vegetation, abundant fruit trees, and the natural beauty of its mountainous and varied terrain. "Clear and wholesome springs issue from the sides of almost every hill, and the valleys abound with yams, potatoes, and water-cresses, which are grateful to mariners; and here it is worthy of remark, that four crops may be produced in the year, the climate being a perpetual spring..." (Bellasis, Intro. to Views of St. Helena).
Bellasis resided on St. Helena for eight months, during which time he sketched its diverse landscapes and inhabitants. Views of St. Helena was published on the eve of Napoleon's arrival, and it was Bellasis' hope that his illustrations would "at the present period..be the more interesting, when this singularly romantic Island is the appointed residence of one of the most extraordinary men recorded in the annals of History."
#12808$400.00
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 BELLASIS, George Hutchins
The Column Lot, Fairy Land, Sandy Bay [Pl. 6]
[Pl. 6]. London: G. H. Bellasis, 1815. Hand-coloured aquatint engraved by Robert Havell after drawings by Bellasis. Very good condition apart from some overall light soiling, a small water stain in the top left corner, and a few minor tears and losses at the edges of the sheet. Trimmed to platemark on top of sheet. Plate mark: 12 3/8 x 16 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 12 3/4 x 17 1/2 inches.
A fine view of the picturesque south side of St. Helena, in the district of Sandy Bay, which captures the contrasting topography of the island.
Originally founded by the Portuguese in 1502, St. Helena is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean 1,695 miles north west of Capetown and 4,477 miles from Southampton. After a brief occupation by the Dutch in 1672, it was colonized by the British East India Company, in whose control it remained for over two hundred years. The island reached the zenith of its fame with the arrival of an exiled Napoleon in October 1815. He lived at Longwood, an estate just outside Jamestown, until his death in May 1821.
At the time that Bellasis sketched the present view, St. Helena was considered a vital link in the chain of safe harbours needed for refitting ships on the busy trade route to India. In addition to its strategic geographic location, it was valued for its copious vegetation, abundant fruit trees, and the natural beauty of its mountainous and varied terrain. "Clear and wholesome springs issue from the sides of almost every hill, and the valleys abound with yams, potatoes, and water-cresses, which are grateful to mariners; and here it is worthy of remark, that four crops may be produced in the year, the climate being a perpetual spring..." (Bellasis, Intro. to Views of St. Helena).
Bellasis resided on St. Helena for eight months, during which time he sketched its diverse landscapes and inhabitants. Views of St. Helena was published on the eve of Napoleon's arrival, and it was Bellasis' hope that his illustrations would "at the present period..be the more interesting, when this singularly romantic Island is the appointed residence of one of the most extraordinary men recorded in the annals of History."
#12809$400.00
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 BELLASIS, George Hutchins
The Friar Rock in the Friars Valley [Pl. 5]
[Pl. 5]. London: G. H. Bellasis, 1815. Hand-coloured aquatint engraved by Robert Havell after drawings by Bellasis. Very good condition apart from some overall light soiling, a 3/4" tear in the left margin, and a 2 1/4" tear in the top margin that slightly extends into the image. A few small losses in the corners of the sheet, where tape on verso is slightly visible. Trimmed to platemark on bottom. Plate mark: 12 3/8 x 16 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 12 5/8 x 17 1/2 inches.
A fine view of Friar's Valley in St. Helena taken from the east, which pictures a glimpse of the Atlantic ocean and the natural rock formation resembling a Friar in his habit from which the valley derives its name.
Originally founded by the Portuguese in 1502, St. Helena is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean 1,695 miles north west of Capetown and 4,477 miles from Southampton. After a brief occupation by the Dutch in 1672, it was colonized by the British East India Company, in whose control it remained for over two hundred years. The island reached the zenith of its fame with the arrival of an exiled Napoleon in October 1815. He lived at Longwood, an estate just outside Jamestown, until his death in May 1821.
At the time that Bellasis sketched the present view, St. Helena was considered a vital link in the chain of safe harbours needed for refitting ships on the busy trade route to India. In addition to its strategic geographic location, it was valued for its copious vegetation, abundant fruit trees, and the natural beauty of its mountainous and varied terrain. "Clear and wholesome springs issue from the sides of almost every hill, and the valleys abound with yams, potatoes, and water-cresses, which are grateful to mariners; and here it is worthy of remark, that four crops may be produced in the year, the climate being a perpetual spring..." (Bellasis, Intro. to Views of St. Helena).
Bellasis resided on St. Helena for eight months, during which time he sketched its diverse landscapes and inhabitants. Views of St. Helena was published on the eve of Napoleon's arrival, and it was Bellasis' hope that his illustrations would "at the present period..be the more interesting, when this singularly romantic Island is the appointed residence of one of the most extraordinary men recorded in the annals of History."
#12810$400.00
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 BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)
Observations sur la Construction de la Carte de l'Ocean Meridional, pour servir vaisseaux du roy, dressée au dépost des cartes, plans & journaux de la marine, par ordre de M. le comte de Maurepas, 1739
[Paris]: Jacques Guerin, [1739]. Quarto (9 5/8 x 7 13/16 inches). 18pp. Contemporary paper-backed boards.
The very rare first edition of Bellin's extensive account of his map of the "Ocean Meridional"
The work includes lengthy separate analyses of the coasts of Africa and of South America as recorded on the map. In addition to geographic locations, observations made in the regions by various explorers are cited.
The cartographer Bellin was employed for more than five decades in the French Hydrographic Service, where he served as the first "Ingénieur hydrographe de la Marine." Commissioned to develop new surveys of the coasts of France and then the known coasts of the world, these were published, respectively, as Le Neptune Français in 1735 and the Hydrographie Français between 1756 and 1765. Bellin also published a Petit Atlas Maritime with 580 charts and plans of harbors, issued in five volumes in 1764. The present work was later published as one of thirty reprinted pamphlets in the author's Recueil des Memoires qui ont été publiés avec les Cartes Hydrographiques (Paris ca. 1767). This work is extremely rare: European Americana locates copies (with a variant imprint) only at LC and JCB.
European Americana 739/24 (different publisher); Sabin 4556 (note).
#19462$5,000.00
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 BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)
Observations sur la Construction de la Carte de l'Océan Oriental ou Mers de Indes, pour servir vaisseaux du roy, dressée au dépost des cartes, plans & journaux de la marine, par ordre de M. le comte de Maurepas, 1740
[Paris]: Jacques Guerin, 1739 [i.e.: 1740]. Quarto (9 5/8 x 7 13/16 inches). 35pp. Quarto. Contemporary manuscript corrections in text on pp.7, 12, 21, 28, and 30. (Small tear at outer margin of first leaf). Contemporary paper-backed boards. Provenance: Earls of Macclesfield (library shelf marks, blind stamps).
The rare first edition of Bellin's extensive account of his map of the Indian Ocean.
The work includes lengthy separate analyses of the coasts of Africa from the Cape of Good Hope to the Red Sea, Madagascar and other isles in the Indian Ocean, and the coasts and isles of Asia from the Red Sea to China. In addition to these geographic locations, observations made in the regions by various explorers are cited.
The cartographer Bellin was employed for more than five decades in the French Hydrographic Service, where he served as the first "Ingénieur hydrographe de la Marine." Commissioned to develop new surveys of the coasts of France and then the known coasts of the world, these were published, respectively, as Le Neptune Français in 1735 and the Hydrographie Français between 1756 and 1765. Bellin also published a Petit Atlas Maritime with 580 charts and plans of harbors, issued in five volumes in 1764. The present work was later reprinted as one of thirty reprinted pamphlets in the author's Recueil des Memoires qui ont été publiés avec les Cartes Hydrographiques (Paris, ca. 1767). Remarkably rare in this original printing: not in OCLC; RLIN records only a reprint at the JCB issued as part of the author's Recueil....
Cf. Sabin 4556
#19463$5,000.00
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 BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)
[St. Lucia] Carte de L'Isle de Sainte Lucie
Paris: J.N. Bellin, 1763. Copper-engraved map, in excellent condition, stamped on upper-center with the stamp of the French royal maritime printing office: "De l'Imp. de Dep. de la Mar. à Versail". Sheet size: 24 1/8 x 32 1/2 inches.
A very elegant and detailed map of St. Lucia by one of the greatest French cartographers
This very fine map of St. Lucia surrounds the island in seas traversed by rhumb lines. The rugged topography of this, one of the most scenic islands of the Caribbean, is captured in great detail. Oriented with the east towards the top of the map, the island features two broad ranges of mountains, which were formed by extreme tectonic activity. In the centre of the island is a plain that features a road, "Chemin de la Longue Chasse ou de la Soufriere" that runs the length of the island. In the lower left of the map is the "Pointe du Gros Piton", the distinctive mountain formation that cascades into the sea, and that is today St. Lucia's most celebrated site. The various aspects of the coast are labelled in great detail, and many places near the sea are dotted with the cultivated fields of sugarcane and banana plantations. Three cartographic insets adorn the upper portions of the map, each depicting one of the island's best harbours. Intended for practical use by mariners, each harbour is heavily detailed with depth soundings and notations of hazards. The insets are "Plan du Port du Carenage" (site of St. Lucia's modern capital of Castries), "Plan du Cul de Sac Des Roseaux" and "Mouilliages du Grande Islet et du Choc". The map is embellished with a very fine title cartouche, bordered by transitional Rococo and Neoclassical motifs, and surmounted by the French royal arms.
St. Lucia was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1500, and named for St. Lucy of Syracuse. The French assumed auspices over the island in 1660, having signed a treaty with the indigenous Carib tribe. Over the next century and a half, the island went back and forth fourteen times between French and British sovereignty before the British assumed an enduring hegemony in 1814. The island became an independent member of the Commonwealth in 1979.
This map was part of the l'Hydrographie Française, a great sea atlas, published by Bellin in two volumes from 1755 to 1766. This was one of the finest works of the prolific Bellin, the "Hydrographer to the King", who was so highly regarded that the British (who were almost always at war with France) made him a member of their Royal Society.
Map Collector's Circle 81, (St. Lucia) 6-9, pl.1
#19542$2,500.00
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 BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)
[New Orleans] Plan de la Nouvelle-Orleans
[Paris]: 1744. Copper-engraved map, old folds, upper left margin with section excised, 2 inch repaired tear from left margin into map image, in very good condition. Sheet size: 9 1/3 x 13 1/4 inches.
A fine copy of one of the most important early maps of New Orleans, by an esteemed French cartographer
This finely-engraved map is one of the most detailed plans of the city to be made in the eighteenth-century. It was contained in Charlevoix's Histoire de la Nouvelle France (1744), and was drawn up by Bellin using the original manuscript plan of the city drafted by Le Blond de la Tour in 1722. It captures the symmetrical layout of the city, and individually labels each of the streets. The boundaries of every property lot are delineated, and the placement of every building is marked. Eighteen of the most important edifices and sites, such as the parish church (of St. Louis), the government buildings, convents, the hospital, and military structures are identified by a letter and named above. The waters of the Mississippi River are vividly expressed through especially fine engraving, and the canal that runs along the eastern side of the city, built in 1729, is depicted. This plan was revised and re-issued by Bellin in 1764 as the 45th plate in Vol.1 of his well-received Petit Atlas maritime.
Cf. Charting Louisiana, 171(1764 version); cf. Sellers & Van Ee Maps & Charts of North America & the West Indies, 1676 (1764 version).
#19691$850.00
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 BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)
[North America] Carte de l'Amerique Septentrionale Depuis le 28 Degré de Latitude jusqu'au 72
Paris: J. N. Bellin, 1755. Copper-engraved map, with original outline colour, in very good condition, with facsimile repairs to upper left cartouche, with official stamp of the "Depot de la Marine". Sheet size: 25 1/2 x 37 inches.
A very important and highly attractive large-scale map of North America by one of the eighteenth-century's greatest cartographers
The present map is one of the most fascinating and influential maps of North America to be made in the years shortly before the voyages of James Cook ushered in a new era of exploration that defined the west coast of the continent. This is also one of the last maps to depict the Franco-American empire, which was then at its greatest extent, immediately before it was entirely lost to Britain and Spain in the Seven Years War (1756-63). The map embraces the entire region from the northern reaches of the Gulf of Mexico up to the lower regions of the Canadian Arctic, and extends from California in the southwest to Greenland and Iceland in the north Atlantic. Critcally, this map is perhaps the finest record of the travels of the Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varrennes, the Sieur de La Vérendrye and his sons, François and Louis. The La Vérendryes explored the heart of the continent from the upper Missouri River basin to the Rockies from 1731 to 1742. They followed the "Assiniboile" (Assiniboine) River deep into the Prairies into modern-day Alberta. Further to the south, they explored the country of the Mandan tribe in the Dakotas and Montana, and the map notes that the partially delineated "Riv. des Mantans" was indeed not the source of the Missouri River. The Rockies are indicated by the notation of the "Montagne de Pierre Brillante" (the Mountain of the Shining Stone), a native name inspired by the gleaming snow-capped peaks that led the range to be known as the 'Shining Mountains' before they acquired their modern name. The massive lakes of Manitoba, such as "Lac Ouinipique" (Lake Winnipeg) are delineated, however the map shows the great rivers to their north as running into the lakes, when in reality these rivers flowed into Hudson's Bay. Various French fur trading posts, such as the "Fort de La Reine" and "Fort Charles" are located on the waterways of the interior. The La Vérendryes maintained notably excellent relations with the Cree and Assiniboine peoples, however language difficulties caused the Frenchmen to misinterpret geographical information that was conveyed to them by the natives, and this both created new and reinforced existing mythologies regarding the lands beyond the Rockies. While a large notation indicates that it is not known whether the area in the northwestern portion of their map is land or sea, an area of undefined parameters is labeled as "La Mer de l'Ouest". This imaginary basin was conceived of by mapmakers in the late seventeenth-cenury and the La Vérendryes thought that a 'River of the West' connected this sea to the Pacific through one of two inlets that were allegedly discovered by Spanish mariners. These two locations are noted on the map along with the dates of their discoveries as the "Entrée de Martin d'Aguilar 1602" and the "Entrée de Juan de Fuca 1592," the latter approximating the location of an actual strait that still goes by the same name. The portrayal of California notes Sir Francis Drake's discovery of San Francisco Bay in 1578 and Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo's naming of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1542. Further north, an isolated strip identifies the coastline of what is now the Alaskan Panhandle, as discovered by the Russian mariners Vitus Bering and Alexei Chrikov in 1741. The advanced coverage of the Spanish territory of New Mexico and the Mississippi Basin, the latter comprising the French colony of Louisiana, is based on renderings by Guillaume de L'Isle and Jean-Baptiste D'Anville respectively. Bellin's depiction of the Great Lakes and eastern Canada is the same as that conveyed in his celebrated contemporary regional maps of the subjects. All of the Thirteen British colonies of the eastern seaboard are shown in great detail. The great artistic virtue of the map is confirmed by its adornment with two large cartouches lavishly decorated in the French rococo style.
Bellin, then the official hydrographer to Louis XV, and as master of the Dépot des Cartes et Plans de La Marine, had access to the most advanced cartographic resources available to the French state. The present map is one of his finest works, and was included as part of the L'Hydrographie Française, a great sea atlas, published by Bellin in two volumes from 1755 to 1766. It was also sold separately, as indicated in the lower right corner of the map for a price of "Cinquante Sols." Bellin was so highly regarded that the British (who were almost always at war with France) made him a member of their Royal Society.
Heidenreich & Dahl, The Map Collector, Vol.19 (1982), p.5; Tooley, Map Collectors' Circle 96, 764; Wagner, Cartography of the Northwest Coast of America, 582;
#19705$3,000.00
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 BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)
[North Pacific] Carte Réduite de L'Ocean Septentrional compris entre l'Asie et l'Amerique suivant les Decouvertes qui ont été faites par les Russes...
Paris: J. N. Bellin, 1766. Copper-engraved map, in very good condition. Sheet size: 25 1/3 x 37 1/8 inches.
A fascinating map of the North Pacific shown just before the voyages of Cook, by Bellin, the esteemed French Royal hydrographer, present here in the first state
This extremely interesting and finely engraved large map depicts the northern Pacific Ocean, and adjacent coasts during an early stage in its exploration, after the first wave of great Russian explorers but just before the momentous voyages of Captain James Cook. The map embraces a vast expanse from north of the 35th parallel, from Japan to California. The map shows the tracks of the Russian voyages of Bering and his deputy Aleksei Chirikov conducted from 1728-43 that first defined eastern Siberia and touched upon the American northwest. Save the imaginary bulge on the north coast of the Chuckchi Peninsula, the coasts of Siberia are extremely well-defined, attesting to Bering's enormous talent as a cartographer. Japan, whose rulers were known to be especially unwelcoming to foreign explorers, is not well understood, such that its large northernmost island, Hokkaido, does not appear at all on the map.
It is perhaps Bellin's depiction of North America that is most intriguing. It shows how Bering and Chirikov touched on various points of the Aleutians and sighted Mount St. Elias, the 18,000 ft. peak located near the top of the Alaska panhandle. The Pacific northwest immediately south of that point is entirely conjectural noting apocryphal discoveries such as the 'River of the King's' encountered by the Spanish Admiral de Fuente in 1640, and the Strait of Juan De Fuca, discovered in 1592. Although the latter body of water does exist, it was probably first encountered by Europeans in the 1770s. Bellin does, however, note Sir Francis Drake's actual discovery of 'Nouvelle Albion' (northern California) in 1578. The map optimistically shows a land route across the continent to the Pacific, decades before any such endeavor was embarked upon. The mapping of the heart of North America is also most curious, as it shows the Red River system, which in reality flows towards Hudson's Bay, as being connected to the Mississippi Basin. The map is elegantly traversed by rhumb lines and the composition is completed by an exquisite rococo title cartouche.
This map was part of the l'Hydrographie Française, a great sea atlas, published by Bellin in two volumes from 1755 to 1766. This was one of the finest works of the prolific Bellin, the "Hydrographer to the King", who was so highly regarded that the British (who were almost always at war with France) made him a member of their Royal Society.
Kershaw, Early Maps of Canada IV, 1125, plate 879; Wagner, Cartography of the Northwest Coast of America, 610
#19716$2,750.00
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 [BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)]
[New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta, Louisiana] Cours du Fleuve Saint Louis depuis ses Embouchures jusqu'a la Riviere d'Iberville et Costes Voisines
Paris: J.N. Bellin, 1764. Copper-engraved map, with original outline colour. Sheet size: 13 x 17 inches.
A highly decorative and important map of southern Louisiana by the French Royal hydrographer
This beautiful map is one of the finest cartographic representations of southern Louisiana made in the eighteenth-century. Bellin, who was then the Royal hydrographer to Louis XV, drafted this map which takes in the area from modern Baton Rouge in the north, down to the mouths of the Mississippi River in the south, and from Bayou Lafourche in the west over to Mobile Bay, Alabama in the east. New Orleans is located near the centre of the map, on the banks of the Mississippi. The waters of the Gulf and adjoining lakes feature numerous depth soundings, and the intricate coastline is outlined in a gold hue. The wooded bayous are depicted with great artistry, and the numerous native villages that line the river are labeled. This aesthetically virtuous composition is completed with the detail of a compass rose in the lower right and and elegant rococo style title cartouche in the lower left. This was one of the most important areas for mariners in America, and in the year that this map was printed possession of the region was transferred from France to Spain and Britain, following the provisions of the Treaty of Paris, which marked the conclusion of the Seven Years War.
Charting Louisiana, 73
#19779$900.00
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 BELLIN, Jacques Nicolas (1703-72)
[Great Lakes] Partie Occidentale de la Nouvelle France ou du Canada
Nuremberg: Homann Heirs, 1755. Copper-engraved map, with original outline colour, in excellent condition. Sheet size: 21 1/8 x 24 1/8 inches.
A very fine edition of Bellin's map, and one of the most important maps of the Great Lakes
This important map depicts the Great Lakes as they appeared in the years immediately before the Seven Years War, and significantly, it "constituted the first new material pertaining to New France to appear since the maps of Guillaume de L'Isle three decades earlier" (Heidenreich & Dahl). The present map represents the edition published by the esteemed firm, Homann Heirs as part of their Atlas Maior. It is closely derived from Bellin's 1745 first state of the map. A curious aspect of the map is its foreshortened rendering of Pennsylvania and New York. While this map evinces the latest in French knowledge of the region, it curiously places many fictitious islands, most notably "Ile Philippeaux" in Lake Superior. The land is still shown to be the domain of various native nations, including the "Pays des Iroquois" and the "Pays de Miami," and features the locations of numerous native villages. This in mind, the region was under tenuous French hegemony, as indicated by the presence of forts and Jesuit missions, such as "Fort Frontenac" (Kingston, Ontario), Niagara, Detroit, Sault Ste. Marie, and Kaskasquias in southern Illinois. The future site of Chicago is noted on the shores of Lake Michigan as "R. et Port de Chicagon". The coastline of the Thirteen Colonies from Chesapeake Bay to New York City is visible in the lower right corner. Bellin's rendering of the Great Lakes proved to be the most important cartographic source in the coming decades, most notably for John Mitchell's A Map of the British & French Dominions in North America (1755), the map that was used to define the boundaries of the newly independent United States in 1783. The composition is graced in the upper center-right by an extremely virtuous title cartouche of a rococo ethic.
Karpinski, Bibliography of the Early Printed Maps of Michigan, p.138; Kershaw, Early Printed Maps of Canada III, 950, plate 715; Phillips, A List of Maps of America, p.191; Sellers & Van Ee, Maps & Charts of North America & West Indies, 19; Cf. Heidenreich & Dahl, 'The French Mapping of North America', in The Map Collector 19 (June, 1982); Schwartz & Ehrenberg, The Mapping of America, p.165, pl.97
#19857$4,500.00
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 BELLIN, Samuel after John LUCAS
[Robert Stephenson Esq. M.P.]
Published by Henry Graves & Co, Feb. 21, 1853. Hand-coloured mezzotint. State ii/iii with the artists' names and the sitter's facsimile signature. Facsimile signature in lower right margin. Prinsellers Association stamp in lower left corner. On fine India paper mounted onto thick white wove as issued. In excellent condition. Image size: 27 3/8 x 17 1/8 inches. Plate mark: 31 ¾ x 20 ¼ inches. Sheet size: 34 9/16 x 22 1/8 inches.
This portrait of Robert Stephenson, the famous engineer who built the Britannia Bridge, is a wonderful example of an early coloured mezzotint.
Robert Stephenson was the son of the famous engineer George Stephenson who invented one of the earliest steam locomotives. After studying at Edinburgh University, Stephenson joined with his father and founded one of the largest locomotive manufacturers in the world. In 1833, Robert was appointed chief engineer of the London and Birmingham railway, a project that was riddled with difficult engineering obstacles. Upon its successful completion, Robert went on to construct railways across the world and is regarded, along with his father, as one of the founders of railway engineering. Stephenson is best known for his design for the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait in Wales, which is pictured in the background of Lucas's robust portrait. Robert Stephenson was not only a talented engineer but also a beloved figure of his day. A contemporary writer described England's admiration for Stephenson best when he wrote: "Not to his mere mechanical skill does he owe his success in life. That might have been thwarted in five hundred ways by interested rivals; but men wish not to thwart those whom they love; and probably no chief of an army was ever more beloved of his soldiers that Robert Stephenson has been by the noble army of physical workers."
O'Donoghue, Catalogue of Engraved British Portraits...in the British Museum 1; Lennox-Boyd & Stogdon, state ii/ii.
#4829$950.00
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 BENECKE, D.
Sleighing in New York
New York: Emil Seitz, 1855. Lithograph printed in colors, after D. Benecke. Printed by Nagel & Lewis. A proof impression, before title. Image size (including text): 21 5/8 x 30½ inches.
A merry panorama of chaos in lower Manhattan, 1855
Looking east across Broadway at Barnum's Museum just up from St. Paul's Church. There is as ever a huge traffic jam, this one involving one-horse, two-horse and six-horse sleighs, in a variety of styles and livery decorations. A large sleigh with six white horses is a public omnibus. On the front is a portrait of "Ol' Rough and Ready", the recently deceased President, Zachary Taylor. The policeman in the background wears a distinctive "cap and star" uniform. The whole scene vibrates with excitement, confusion, merriment and stress.
"This imaginative and colorful print, showing Barnum's Museum, is…justly celebrated." (Peters)
NY Public Library, The Eno Collection of New York City Views, number 335; Stokes, Iconography of Manhattan Island, page 898; Peters, America on Stone, page 93, illustrated plate 12.
#3502$2,850.00
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 BENNETT, William James (1787-1844) after Charles WILD (1781-1835)
The King's Dressing Room, Windsor Castle
London: Published by W. H. Pyne, 1816. Hand-coloured aquatint. Very good condition apart from a few light foxing marks and a small loss in the top left corner of the sheet. Plate mark: 10 1/8 x 12 1/2 inches. Sheet size: 10 5/8 x 13 inches.
A beautifully coloured print from "The History of the Royal Residences...," William Henry Pyne's comprehensive collection of plates depicting the interiors of Windsor Castle, St. James's Palace, Carlton House, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Buckingham House, and Frogmore.
Windsor Castle was built in 1075 during the reign of William the Conqueror. As pictured in this charming image, the King's Dressing Room was primarily adorned with paintings by celebrated artists such as Holbein, Rembrandt, and da Vinci. The ceiling mural depicts Jupiter and Danae, and the clock standing in the room's far right corner was designed by the royal clockmaker Vulliamy.
Comprised of three volumes, Pyne's publication was an ambitious project involving several prominent engravers and draughtsman of the day including Sutherland, W. J. Bennett, R. Reeve, D. Havell and R. Cattermole. It constitutes an invaluable early nineteenth-century pictorial record of the magnificent interiors and furnishings of these palatial residences before they were significantly changed or, in the case of Carlton House, completely razed.
The watercolour painter and aquatint engraver William James Bennett was born in England and received his training at the Royal Academy. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and Buffalo.
Cf. Abbey, Scenery of Great Britain and Ireland in Aquatint and Lithography, 1770-1860 396; cf. British Coloured Books, 78; cf. Martin-Hardie, p. 91; cf. Prideaux, p. 348; cf. Tooley 389; cf. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, et Graveurs, vol. 2, p. 108.
#13849$300.00
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 BENNETT, William James (1787-1844) after Richard CATTERMOLE (1795-1858)
The Queen's Bed Chamber, Kensington Palace
London: Published by W. H. Pyne, 1818. Hand-coloured aquatint, heightened with touches of gum arabic. Very good condition apart from some light foxing and a 1 7/8" loss along the right edge of the bottom margin. Plate mark: 10 1/8 x 12 3/8 inches. Sheet size: 10 5/8 x 13 inches.
A beautifully coloured print from "The History of the Royal Residences...," William Henry Pyne's comprehensive collection of plates depicting the interiors of Windsor Castle, St. James's Palace, Carlton House, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Buckingham House, and Frogmore.
Erected in 1661 for the Earl of Nottingham, Kensington Palace became the royal residence of William III in 1689. Over the years, it underwent various renovations by architects such as Nicholas Hawksmoor and Sir Christopher Wren. Queen Victoria lived at Kensington for the duration of her childhood.
Comprised of three volumes, Pyne's publication was an ambitious project involving several prominent engravers and draughtsman of the day including Sutherland, W. J. Bennett, R. Reeve, D. Havell and R. Cattermole. It constitutes an invaluable early nineteenth-century pictorial record of the magnificent interiors and furnishings of these palatial residences before they were significantly changed or, in the case of Carlton House, completely razed.
The watercolour painter and aquatint engraver William James Bennett was born in England and received his training at the Royal Academy. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and Buffalo.
Cf. Abbey, Scenery of Great Britain and Ireland in Aquatint and Lithography, 1770-1860 396; cf. British Coloured Books, 78; cf. Martin-Hardie, p. 91; cf. Prideaux, p. 348; cf. Tooley 389; cf. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, vol. 2, p. 108.
#13850$300.00
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 BENNETT, William James (1787-1844) after James STEPHANOFF (1788?-1874)
The Saloon, Buckingham House
London: Published by W. H. Pyne, 1818. Hand-coloured aquatint, heightened with touches of gum arabic. Very good condition apart from some light soiling. Plate mark: 10 x 12 3/8 inches. Sheet size: 10 1/2 x 13 inches.
A beautifully coloured print from "The History of the Royal Residences...," William Henry Pyne's comprehensive collection of plates depicting the interiors of Windsor Castle, St. James's Palace, Carlton House, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Buckingham House, and Frogmore.
Erected in 1703, Buckingham House was the residence of the Duke of Buckingham until it was purchased by George III for Queen Charlotte in 1762 and became one of the many homes of the royal family. George IV later commissioned the eminent architect John Nash to expand the building into what is now Buckingham Palace. During the reign of Queen Victoria, it became the chief London seat of the royal monarch.
Comprised of three volumes, Pyne's publication was an ambitious project involving several prominent engravers and draughtsman of the day including Sutherland, W. J. Bennett, R. Reeve, D. Havell and R. Cattermole. It constitutes an invaluable early nineteenth-century pictorial record of the magnificent interiors and furnishings of these palatial residences before they were significantly changed or, in the case of Carlton House, completely razed.
The watercolour painter and aquatint engraver William James Bennett was born in England and received his training at the Royal Academy. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and Buffalo.
Cf. Abbey, Scenery of Great Britain and Ireland in Aquatint and Lithography, 1770-1860 396; cf. British Coloured Books, 78; cf. Martin-Hardie, p. 91; cf. Prideaux, p. 348; cf. Tooley 389; cf. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, et Graveurs, vol. 2, p. 108.
#13852$300.00
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 BENNETT, William James (1784-1844) after J. ISABEY
Monsr. J. Isabey's Exhibition Rooms, 61 Pall Mall / Salle d'Exhibition de J. Isabey, a Londres
Published by J. Isabey, June, 1820. Colour-printed aquatint. Printed on wove Whatman paper watermarked 1820. In excellent condition. Image size: 7 ¼ x 9 7/8 inches. Plate mark: 8 ¼ x 10 7/8 inches. Sheet size: 13 x 18 ¾ inches.
A fascinating view of J. Isabey's picture gallery in Pall Mall, London, by the celebrated American engraver William James Bennett.
William James Bennett was born in England, and received his artistic training at the celebrated Royal Academy. He garnered a reputation as an accomplished watercolourist and exhibited many fine landscapes at the Academy's annual exhibitions. Bennett was one of the principle members of the Society of Painters in Watercolours and helped establish watercolour as a prominent medium in England. He displayed an exceptional talent at aquatint and during his career produced many fine prints for some the most lavish English plate books. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and Buffalo. Bennett's series of views of American Cities set a standard, and established a compositional formula, for topographical art in America. His views remain the most memorable and beautiful examples of the genre, and they exerted a lasting influence on generations of American artists.
This beautiful image of Mr. Isabey's exhibition rooms in Pall Mall is not listed separately amongst Bennett's work, but according to DeSilva and Deak, he completed a number of aquatints in 1820, which are not recorded. It is possible that this picturesque interior scene is one of the images, which was not immediately attributed to Bennett. This charming work closely resembles images published by the leading English printseller Rudolph Ackermann, in particular an image depicting his gallery "The Repository of Arts". As in the Ackermann image, connoisseurs are shown enjoying the exhibition rooms in Isabey's gallery. This lovely image is a fascinating example of a nineteenth century exhibition; we not only see the arrangement of the hang, but also are privy to the use of the gallery by visitors.
Deak, William James Bennett p. 3-26; DeSilva, William James Bennett: Painter and Engraver, p. 39-42
#14745$2,000.00
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 BENNETT, William James (c.1784-1844)
West Point, from above Washington Valley looking down the River
New York: Parker & Clover, 1834. Hand-coloured aquatint after George Cooke. In good condition, but laid onto thin wove paper. Sheet size: 20 1/8 x 27 1/16 inches.
First state of this spectacular image of the Hudson and West Point: focusing 'on the beauty of the Hudson River and the mountains that border it on either side ... a celebration of nature, highlighting the ever-changing drama staged by mountains, water, and sky' (Deak)
William James Bennett (c. 1787-1844) was born in England and received his training at the Royal Academy. He emigrated to the United States in 1826, and is best known for his views of American cities, including the Hudson Valley Region, Niagara Falls, and numerous port cities such as New York, Charleston, and Buffalo. With the arrival of William Bennett and several other émigré artists such as William Guy Wall, and John Hill, the quality of aquatint engraving in America was elevated to a level equaling, or perhaps even surpassing, that of European printmakers. This print was published at the beginning of an important period in the history of American topographical-view making.
'Bennett etched four prints after paintings by George Cooke (1793-1849) in his series of views of American cities ... American-born George Cooke was a prolific painter of portraits, views, and historical subjects. He painted this scene of West Point in 1832 after he had left New York ... for .. the Catskill mountains' (Deak William James Bennett p.78). 'Cooke benefited from the remarkable craftsmanship of ... Bennett, who endowed the rendering with a radiant quality' (Deak Picturing America p.277).
R.A. De Silva William James Bennett Painter and Engraver 1970 pp.68-70; Deak William James Bennett Master of the Aquatint View New York, 1988, checklist number 22; Deak Picturing America 412; Stauffer 151
#18213$16,000.00
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 BENOIST, J. L. after J. GOUBAUD
[Napoleon II]
1812. Stipple and engraving. Colour printed a la poupée, with additional hand colour and goldleaf highlights. Proof before title. Printed on wove paper. In excellent condition with the exception of being trimmed within the platemark. Glue residue around edges of sheet on verso of print, not visible from the front. Image size: 9 9/16 x 12 9/16 inches. Sheet size: 12 9/16 x 15 1/8 inches. | | | |
