ID 1105621
Lot 149 | BLEULER, Johann Ludwig (1792-1850) and Alois SCHREIBER (1763-1841)
Estimate value
£ 15 000 – 20 000
Ouvrage représentant en 70 à 80 Feuilles les vues les plus pittoresques des Bords du Rhin depuis ses sources jusqu‘à son embouchure dans la mer. Schaffhausen: Bleuler, [c. 1843]
An exceptionally fine copy of this monumental album, with the plates extremely finely painted and heightened in gum arabic, of the picturesque landscape along the Rhine river engraved by Johann Ludwig Bleuler, after views by Alois Schreiber. The work was issued in 20 parts comprised of four plates, each with an engraved illustrative explanation or key to the views, all present here. Both artists had travelled extensively along this stretch of beautiful countryside painting landscapes and making studies. Schreiber had done so in 1791, thereafter publishing Picturesque Views of the Rhine from Mainz to Düsseldorf (1806), an account which is considered a forerunner to Karl Baedeker's travel guides, and Bleuler between 1817 and 1818. In 1824, Bleuler established his own publishing company at Schaffhausen, and, beginning in 1827, worked on a sequence of prints featuring the landscapes of the Rhine, from its origins in the glaciers of the Alps, eventually publishing the complete suite in about 1843. His aquatints, which were all exceptionally coloured by hand, were known for the Old Masters-like effect he could create using gouache techniques; the highlighting of the foregrounds in gum arabic gives a remarkable sense of perspective. Extremely rare complete with all 80 plates; we have located no copy at auction (RBH). Bobins V, 1703.
Oblong folio (304 x 428 mm). Engraved title with small vignette at centre, 80 aquatint plates, finely coloured by a contemporary hand and highlighted in gum arabic, interspersed with 20 leaves of engraved part-titles with keys to the plates, i.e. keys to four plates per part title; extra illustrated with an additional unnumbered plate 'vue de L’Ütliberg' at end (very rare light spotting). Fine original publisher's half brown morocco, over brown pebble-grained cloth, covers bordered with gilt rules with large gilt corner-pieces, title gilt lettered to upper cover 'Les Vues les Plus Pittoresques des Bords du Rhin', spine richly gilt, in a marbled-paper slipcase (corners fractionally rubbed).
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | ||||
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