Decade 1820-1829
See also : George IV to Victoria Louis XVIII to 2nd Empire Books Fine books 1700-1850 Political writing Prints Ancient prints Coin Coins 1800-49 Gold coins Dollars and eagles Sciences Sciences from 1800 Mechanical craft ca 1800 Jaquet-Droz and followers
1820 Ramel de Nogaret by David
2008 SOLD for $ 7.2M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
Jacques-Louis David is passionately committed to the Révolution. He was elected deputy for Paris at the Convention and voted for the death of Louis XVI. His support for the Empire will be unwavering. He applies the traditions of history painting to contemporary events, with a grandiose emphasis.
David runs his business well. His prices are high and his paid exhibition of the Sabines for five years in a room of the Louvre brings him a fortune. He receives a pension as Premier Peintre de l'Empire and increases his income through education and the right to engraving.
The regicides are proscribed after the fall of the Empire. David joins the imperial diaspora in Brussels where he fails to obtain an official position. From then on, to earn a living, he welcomes the commissions by his friends for portraits.
David's work has always been dual : on the one hand the heroic paintings which attract the public, on the other the realistic portraits. The portrait of Delahaye, painted in Paris in 1815, was sold for € 2.14M including premium by Christie's on June 22, 2006.
The regicide Ramel, also known as Ramel de Nogaret, was also an expatriate in Brussels. He had been Ministre des Finances under the Directoire and tried to resume political service during the Cent Jours. He was a close friend of David of whom he will deliver the funeral oration.
In 1820 David paints the portraits of Ramel and his wife. Ramel, aged 60, expresses his incorruptible virtue with dignity.
The two paintings, which had been separated, were reunited after the sale of the portrait of Ramel by Binoche for FF 16M on October 18, 1995. They were again separated in the auction by Christie's on April 15, 2008. The portrait of Ramel, oil on canvas 59 x 46 cm, was sold for $ 7.2M including premium, lot 72. The portrait of his wife was not sold. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
David runs his business well. His prices are high and his paid exhibition of the Sabines for five years in a room of the Louvre brings him a fortune. He receives a pension as Premier Peintre de l'Empire and increases his income through education and the right to engraving.
The regicides are proscribed after the fall of the Empire. David joins the imperial diaspora in Brussels where he fails to obtain an official position. From then on, to earn a living, he welcomes the commissions by his friends for portraits.
David's work has always been dual : on the one hand the heroic paintings which attract the public, on the other the realistic portraits. The portrait of Delahaye, painted in Paris in 1815, was sold for € 2.14M including premium by Christie's on June 22, 2006.
The regicide Ramel, also known as Ramel de Nogaret, was also an expatriate in Brussels. He had been Ministre des Finances under the Directoire and tried to resume political service during the Cent Jours. He was a close friend of David of whom he will deliver the funeral oration.
In 1820 David paints the portraits of Ramel and his wife. Ramel, aged 60, expresses his incorruptible virtue with dignity.
The two paintings, which had been separated, were reunited after the sale of the portrait of Ramel by Binoche for FF 16M on October 18, 1995. They were again separated in the auction by Christie's on April 15, 2008. The portrait of Ramel, oil on canvas 59 x 46 cm, was sold for $ 7.2M including premium, lot 72. The portrait of his wife was not sold. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1820 The Singing Birds of Geneva
2011 SOLD 45.5 MHK$ including premium
Geneva got an important place in art history for its jewelry and its precision mechanical crafts. The pair of singing birds created circa 1820, attributed to Frères Rochat, for sale by Christie's in Hong Kong on May 30, is exceptional.
These automata are pistol shaped and their barrels house the hundreds of mechanical components. The decor is exquisite and the materials are precious: gold, enamel, agate, pearl, diamond. They are shown on the release shared by Artdaily.
When the trigger is pulled, the colorful bird leaves at the end of the barrel, turns, opens and closes its wings and beak, sings. After such a work, it returns home.
They are in exceptional condition, as demonstrated by a video on the website of Christie's. Singing bird pistol automaton are very rare, and these are the only remaining specimens that have been kept as a pair. The auction house admits that it is difficult to predict the price of such an absolutely unique lot, and advances a very open estimate range: HK $ 20 to 40M.
POST SALE COMMENT
The prices of lots that are unique of their kind have no limit. Excellent result for this one: HK $ 45.5 million including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared on the web by Christie's :
These automata are pistol shaped and their barrels house the hundreds of mechanical components. The decor is exquisite and the materials are precious: gold, enamel, agate, pearl, diamond. They are shown on the release shared by Artdaily.
When the trigger is pulled, the colorful bird leaves at the end of the barrel, turns, opens and closes its wings and beak, sings. After such a work, it returns home.
They are in exceptional condition, as demonstrated by a video on the website of Christie's. Singing bird pistol automaton are very rare, and these are the only remaining specimens that have been kept as a pair. The auction house admits that it is difficult to predict the price of such an absolutely unique lot, and advances a very open estimate range: HK $ 20 to 40M.
POST SALE COMMENT
The prices of lots that are unique of their kind have no limit. Excellent result for this one: HK $ 45.5 million including premium.
I invite you to play the video shared on the web by Christie's :
1821 Proof Half Eagle
2022 SOLD for $ 4.6M by Heritage
When the eagle was suspended from production in 1804, the half dollar became the highest denomination processed at the Philadelphia Mint. For the same reason of avoiding speculation, its production was very limited including a two year gap in 1816 and 1817.
The Mint acquired the know how of the proof gold in 1820, enabling a prestige marketing. The yearly mintage was possibly first established at five, with some years probably missing. A few one sided proofs were also minted.
The 1821 Capped Head Left half eagle is rare with only 15 examples known in business strike.
Two 1821 proof half eagles survive, both in PR65 Cameo. One of them is kept at the Smithsonian after entering the Mint Cabinet at its inception in 1838. The other example, graded by PCGS, was sold for $ 4.6M by Heritage on September 29, 2022, lot 11052. Coming from the Harry Bass Core Collection, it had previously been owned by Randall, Woodin, Newcomer, Colonel Green, King Farouk and Norweb.
Please watch the videos shared by the auction house.
The survivors of the 1825 proof half eagles are one true proof coin and two one sided. The true proof, graded PR67 Cameo by PCGS, has been recently re-established as one of the three finest certified pre-1834 proof gold coins after half a century in oblivion. It was sold for $ 4.1M by Stack's Bowers on August 25, 2022, lot 7160.
This coin is more properly a 1825/4/1 as the last digit of the date has been marked 5 over a 4 superseding the 1 of the original 1821 of the die. Such overdating was a common practice due to the shortage of high quality steel.
The Mint acquired the know how of the proof gold in 1820, enabling a prestige marketing. The yearly mintage was possibly first established at five, with some years probably missing. A few one sided proofs were also minted.
The 1821 Capped Head Left half eagle is rare with only 15 examples known in business strike.
Two 1821 proof half eagles survive, both in PR65 Cameo. One of them is kept at the Smithsonian after entering the Mint Cabinet at its inception in 1838. The other example, graded by PCGS, was sold for $ 4.6M by Heritage on September 29, 2022, lot 11052. Coming from the Harry Bass Core Collection, it had previously been owned by Randall, Woodin, Newcomer, Colonel Green, King Farouk and Norweb.
Please watch the videos shared by the auction house.
The survivors of the 1825 proof half eagles are one true proof coin and two one sided. The true proof, graded PR67 Cameo by PCGS, has been recently re-established as one of the three finest certified pre-1834 proof gold coins after half a century in oblivion. It was sold for $ 4.1M by Stack's Bowers on August 25, 2022, lot 7160.
This coin is more properly a 1825/4/1 as the last digit of the date has been marked 5 over a 4 superseding the 1 of the original 1821 of the die. Such overdating was a common practice due to the shortage of high quality steel.
The Capped Head Left Five 1821 is prohibitively rare. Two proof examples are known, one of those coins is in the National #Numismatic Collection at the #Smithsonian. Bidders took notice and drove the price for the only proof in private hands to $4,620,000. https://t.co/M5ao7FYZ1j pic.twitter.com/SQvYfzf5s6
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) September 30, 2022
1822 Along the River Stour
2016 SOLD for £ 14M including premium
John Constable masterfully demonstrates that it is not mandatory to travel to become the best painter of landscapes. The nature is for him an emotional theme, an opportunity to exacerbate his childhood impressions in Suffolk.
Traditional methods are no longer sufficient for his communion with the English countryside. He begins by giving up the outdoor painting. He then invents the suitable process when he transfers his detailed sketches on a large canvas, generating the full scale sketch that he tirelessly reworks until he finds the balance of composition and the animation for the final work.
His interpretation of the Stour River in a distance range not exceeding five kilometers results in a set of six paintings from 1819 to 1825 which are the masterpieces of Constable and more generally of any landscape painting.
The six-foot sketches of these six paintings have been preserved. Constable refused to sell his sketches, considering that we must sell the corn and not the field that grew it. They were dispersed in his deceased estate sale but it was not until 1862 that their importance could be analyzed when two sketches were finally exhibited beside their matching final artwork.
Seen by a modern observer, the comparison is stunning. The sketch is the direct result of the creativity of the painter in a thick impasto that provides a pre-Impressionist expressiveness. The application of the brush is free and vibrant without the conventional restraint that will be applied to the final work. By design, the numerous remorses directly reflect the creative process of the artist.
On June 30 in London, Christie's sells at lot 12 the six-foot sketch for the fourth painting in the series, the View on the Stour near Dedham, which is the only full scale sketch of the Stour series still in private hands. This oil on canvas 129 x 185 cm was worked between autumn 1821 and the exhibition of the final work in 1822 at the Royal Academy. The press release of May 26 reveals an estimate around £ 12M to 16M.
Traditional methods are no longer sufficient for his communion with the English countryside. He begins by giving up the outdoor painting. He then invents the suitable process when he transfers his detailed sketches on a large canvas, generating the full scale sketch that he tirelessly reworks until he finds the balance of composition and the animation for the final work.
His interpretation of the Stour River in a distance range not exceeding five kilometers results in a set of six paintings from 1819 to 1825 which are the masterpieces of Constable and more generally of any landscape painting.
The six-foot sketches of these six paintings have been preserved. Constable refused to sell his sketches, considering that we must sell the corn and not the field that grew it. They were dispersed in his deceased estate sale but it was not until 1862 that their importance could be analyzed when two sketches were finally exhibited beside their matching final artwork.
Seen by a modern observer, the comparison is stunning. The sketch is the direct result of the creativity of the painter in a thick impasto that provides a pre-Impressionist expressiveness. The application of the brush is free and vibrant without the conventional restraint that will be applied to the final work. By design, the numerous remorses directly reflect the creative process of the artist.
On June 30 in London, Christie's sells at lot 12 the six-foot sketch for the fourth painting in the series, the View on the Stour near Dedham, which is the only full scale sketch of the Stour series still in private hands. This oil on canvas 129 x 185 cm was worked between autumn 1821 and the exhibition of the final work in 1822 at the Royal Academy. The press release of May 26 reveals an estimate around £ 12M to 16M.
A 'titan of British painting' — John Constable among highlights of our 30 June sale https://t.co/PERruOhsUE pic.twitter.com/kr8K1bbx7s
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 26, 2016
1822 The Big Dream of the Half Eagles
2021 SOLD for $ 8.4M including premium
The greatest collectors of US coins want to own an example of all the regular varieties. The older ones were not yet concerned with discriminating between the production sites.
Half eagles of the capped head type caught their attention early on. Around 1820 their gold value had exceeded the face value. Their production was limited, the government was reluctant to put them into circulation, and a large proportion of the coins were redeemed and melted.
1816 and 1817 are out of the scope : no half eagle was released on these years. 1822 was known from a severely worn coin found by an executive of the Philadelphia mint who was already looking to fill in the gaps. The first craze applied to the 1815.
In 1864 the Seavey collection of gold coins was reputed complete. Parmelee acquired it en bloc, including an 1822 half eagle.
In 1890 Parmelee put his collection up for auction at the New York Coin and Stamp Company. His 1822 half eagle was to be the star of the event, symbolizing the sensational quality of his collection. Catastrophe : this highly desirable coin is a counterfeit.
A subterfuge is found. By chance, one of the managers of the auction house owns an 1822 half eagle, which is then somehow the only one in private hands. He substitutes it for the Seavey-Parmelee unit and auctions it to himself for $ 900. It is the most expensive lot of the sale, far ahead of the 1815 half eagle, already less rare at that time, sold for $ 235. The authentic 1822 will enter the Smithsonian collection in 1968.
Only one other 1822 half eagle has surfaced. It appeared in 1899, bought by Virgil Brand from a dealer. Louis E. Eliasberg acquired it in 1945 from a broker. It made the big dream come true : his collection is complete and unrivaled, since this authentic piece is the only one of its variety in private hands.
Coming now from the D. Brent Pogue collection and graded AU-50 by PCGS, it passed at Stack's Bowers on May 24, 2016, lot 4026. It will be sold by the same auction house in Las Vegas on March 25, 2021, lot 4149. Please watch the short video shared by Stack's Bowers.
Half eagles of the capped head type caught their attention early on. Around 1820 their gold value had exceeded the face value. Their production was limited, the government was reluctant to put them into circulation, and a large proportion of the coins were redeemed and melted.
1816 and 1817 are out of the scope : no half eagle was released on these years. 1822 was known from a severely worn coin found by an executive of the Philadelphia mint who was already looking to fill in the gaps. The first craze applied to the 1815.
In 1864 the Seavey collection of gold coins was reputed complete. Parmelee acquired it en bloc, including an 1822 half eagle.
In 1890 Parmelee put his collection up for auction at the New York Coin and Stamp Company. His 1822 half eagle was to be the star of the event, symbolizing the sensational quality of his collection. Catastrophe : this highly desirable coin is a counterfeit.
A subterfuge is found. By chance, one of the managers of the auction house owns an 1822 half eagle, which is then somehow the only one in private hands. He substitutes it for the Seavey-Parmelee unit and auctions it to himself for $ 900. It is the most expensive lot of the sale, far ahead of the 1815 half eagle, already less rare at that time, sold for $ 235. The authentic 1822 will enter the Smithsonian collection in 1968.
Only one other 1822 half eagle has surfaced. It appeared in 1899, bought by Virgil Brand from a dealer. Louis E. Eliasberg acquired it in 1945 from a broker. It made the big dream come true : his collection is complete and unrivaled, since this authentic piece is the only one of its variety in private hands.
Coming now from the D. Brent Pogue collection and graded AU-50 by PCGS, it passed at Stack's Bowers on May 24, 2016, lot 4026. It will be sold by the same auction house in Las Vegas on March 25, 2021, lot 4149. Please watch the short video shared by Stack's Bowers.
The Only 1822 Half Eagle Available to Collectors
— Stack's Bowers (@StacksBowers) March 23, 2021
1822 Capped Head Left Half Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-8. AU-50 (PCGS).
"I have the only one not in the hands of the government." - Louis Eliasberg, on the 1822 half eagle, 1975
Bid on Lot 4149 at https://t.co/BoJzSFkF9P. pic.twitter.com/7PybjguHcM
1824 John Constable, Painter of Sky and Wind
2012 SOLD 22.4 M£ including premium
John Constable, son of a miller, is an artist of the countryside. Landscapist at a time when history painting was in the fashion, he made outdoor sketches for preparing oil paintings in large scale, opening the way to the modernism of the nineteenth century.
His landscapes are common sites in the country, which a photographer could hardly interprete. In this humble subject, he captures the movement: the ever-changing shapes of the clouds, the leaves rustling in the wind. Constable is the magician of the air like Monet, later, will be the magician of water.
The top of the art of Constable is a series of six paintings of the Stour Valley in his native Suffolk, each one preceded by those sketches that are masterpieces in their own right by their search of the expressive qualities of nature.
One of these six paintings is The Lock, 142 x 121 cm, achieved in 1824. The only one still in private hands, it was sold £ 10.8 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 1990, a considerable price at that time for an ancient painting.
It is estimated £ 20M, for sale by Christie's in London on July 3.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting is exceptional and its price is deserved: £ 22.4 million including premium. The estimate had been well targeted by Christie's.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
His landscapes are common sites in the country, which a photographer could hardly interprete. In this humble subject, he captures the movement: the ever-changing shapes of the clouds, the leaves rustling in the wind. Constable is the magician of the air like Monet, later, will be the magician of water.
The top of the art of Constable is a series of six paintings of the Stour Valley in his native Suffolk, each one preceded by those sketches that are masterpieces in their own right by their search of the expressive qualities of nature.
One of these six paintings is The Lock, 142 x 121 cm, achieved in 1824. The only one still in private hands, it was sold £ 10.8 million including premium by Sotheby's on November 14, 1990, a considerable price at that time for an ancient painting.
It is estimated £ 20M, for sale by Christie's in London on July 3.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting is exceptional and its price is deserved: £ 22.4 million including premium. The estimate had been well targeted by Christie's.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Christie's.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1824 Facsimile of the US Declaration of Independence
2021 SOLD for $ 4.4M by Freeman's
On July 19, 1776, a resolution from the US Congress decided that a manuscript duplicate of the Declaration of Independence had to be prepared for signature by every Congress member. It was made on parchment with the title The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America. The original copy signed on July 4 by John Hancock and Charles Thomson had not resurfaced, probably lost or scraped in the process of preparation of the Dunlap broadside.
The duplicate signed by the 56 delegates in early August, 1776 was becoming a symbol of the American liberty. Unfortunately it was badly deteriorating. In 1820 the Secretary of State and future President John Quincy Adams commissioned the printer William J. Stone to print an exact facsimile.
The engraving was made with a wet ink process by which some of the original ink was transferred to a copper plate which was etched. The engraving was completed and dated in 1823 and the printing was made in 1824 in 200 copies on 80 x 70 cm vellum. Approximately fifty are located.
Two copies were presented to one of the three surviving original signers, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, former delegate and senator of Maryland, aged 87. They were presented by Carroll to his grandson-in-law in 1826 after the death of the last two other signers, former Presidents John Adams and Jefferson.
One of them, inscribed by Carroll, went in 1844 to the Maryland Historical Society. The grandson-in-law copied this inscription on the other document with a reference to the autographed Carroll copy.
This second Carroll copy was discovered in a Scottish attic by Cathy Marsden, specialist of rare books at the Edinburgh auction company Lyon and Turnbull, and transferred for auction to their sister company Freeman's based in Philadelphia. It was sold by Freeman's on July 1, 2021 for $ 4.4M from a lower estimate of $ 500K, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by Freeman's.
The duplicate signed by the 56 delegates in early August, 1776 was becoming a symbol of the American liberty. Unfortunately it was badly deteriorating. In 1820 the Secretary of State and future President John Quincy Adams commissioned the printer William J. Stone to print an exact facsimile.
The engraving was made with a wet ink process by which some of the original ink was transferred to a copper plate which was etched. The engraving was completed and dated in 1823 and the printing was made in 1824 in 200 copies on 80 x 70 cm vellum. Approximately fifty are located.
Two copies were presented to one of the three surviving original signers, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, former delegate and senator of Maryland, aged 87. They were presented by Carroll to his grandson-in-law in 1826 after the death of the last two other signers, former Presidents John Adams and Jefferson.
One of them, inscribed by Carroll, went in 1844 to the Maryland Historical Society. The grandson-in-law copied this inscription on the other document with a reference to the autographed Carroll copy.
This second Carroll copy was discovered in a Scottish attic by Cathy Marsden, specialist of rare books at the Edinburgh auction company Lyon and Turnbull, and transferred for auction to their sister company Freeman's based in Philadelphia. It was sold by Freeman's on July 1, 2021 for $ 4.4M from a lower estimate of $ 500K, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by Freeman's.
A historic discovery! Our sister auction house, Freeman’s, is pleased to announce the sale of a signer’s copy of William J. Stone’s 1823 printing of the #DeclarationofIndependence recently rediscovered in Scotland by Lyon & Turnbull. Find out more: https://t.co/RiosDcVn4k pic.twitter.com/xSL20pV2Do
— Lyon & Turnbull (@LyonandTurnbull) June 24, 2021
1825 The Son of the Wealthy Miller
2015 SOLD for £ 9.1M including premium
John Constable was the son of a wealthy miller in Suffolk who owned some mills and operated the transportation of his corn to London by the River Stour, made navigable since 1705 through thirteen locks. The miller was responsible for the maintenance of some of these locks that were on his land.
From 1819, the artist gets a highly deserved recognition for his paintings of rural scenery. Now having full confidence in his art, he begins a series in large size of the local landscapes in which he was impregnated since his childhood.
John works slowly in his studio, using his sketches. He expresses altogether the charm of the place, the tranquility of the activity, the ever-changing sky, the wind, the threat of a shower rain. Beginning in 1821 with the Hay Wain, the series around the River Stour is the greatest achievement in the art of English landscape painting, combining a romantic inspiration to an execution in a perfect realism.
The Lock, painted in 1824, is the fifth of the six paintings in this series. Exhibited at the Royal Academy, it is bought on the first day by a collector. This oil on canvas 142 x 121 cm was sold for £ 22.4 million including premium by Christie's on July 3, 2012.
John is a sensitive artist who certainly felt the sale of his painting as a tear to his childhood memories. His personal papers indicate in 1825 that he is completing a copy. This oil on canvas is estimated £ 8M for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 9, lot 44.
Experts see some differences between the two versions, perhaps a sky darker in places which announces the most expressionist landscapes of the following years. I would rather say that the similarity of the two paintings is extremely remarkable, especially since John had not the original version in hands when he made the copy (note added in 2016 : he had his full size sketch which he kept in his studio all along his life). The care with which the artist conceived his compositions is unsurpassable.
The second version had not been painted for the purpose of sale and John kept it all along his life. It was used to prepare the print published in 1834.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
From 1819, the artist gets a highly deserved recognition for his paintings of rural scenery. Now having full confidence in his art, he begins a series in large size of the local landscapes in which he was impregnated since his childhood.
John works slowly in his studio, using his sketches. He expresses altogether the charm of the place, the tranquility of the activity, the ever-changing sky, the wind, the threat of a shower rain. Beginning in 1821 with the Hay Wain, the series around the River Stour is the greatest achievement in the art of English landscape painting, combining a romantic inspiration to an execution in a perfect realism.
The Lock, painted in 1824, is the fifth of the six paintings in this series. Exhibited at the Royal Academy, it is bought on the first day by a collector. This oil on canvas 142 x 121 cm was sold for £ 22.4 million including premium by Christie's on July 3, 2012.
John is a sensitive artist who certainly felt the sale of his painting as a tear to his childhood memories. His personal papers indicate in 1825 that he is completing a copy. This oil on canvas is estimated £ 8M for sale by Sotheby's in London on December 9, lot 44.
Experts see some differences between the two versions, perhaps a sky darker in places which announces the most expressionist landscapes of the following years. I would rather say that the similarity of the two paintings is extremely remarkable, especially since John had not the original version in hands when he made the copy (note added in 2016 : he had his full size sketch which he kept in his studio all along his life). The care with which the artist conceived his compositions is unsurpassable.
The second version had not been painted for the purpose of sale and John kept it all along his life. It was used to prepare the print published in 1834.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
1827-1838 Audubon by Subscription
2010 SOLD 7.3 M£ including premium
Two books, or better two events, from a single collection are waiting for bibliophiles in the sale at Sotheby's in London on December 7: the First Folio of Shakespeare and Audubon's Birds of America.
Let's start with the birds. We already know them in the Prints group. Here is (slightly modified) how I summarized the importance of this work:
Lovers of top auctions remember the outstanding results obtained by Christie's in New York on the major work of Audubon, The Birds of America. The four volumes contain 435 hand colored etchings.
These prints are in double elephant folio size, the largest known format for an illustrated book: 100 x 67 cm. The gigantic size is related to the goal that John James Audubon managed for the great work of his life: he wanted all his birds being displayed in their natural habitat in life size, even for the largest. This American had to travel to England to find a publisher: he was Robert Havell, in London. The publication spanned twelve years (1827-1838). Such a duration was not unusual at this time for ambitious books.
The highest price achieved at Christie's, $ 8.8 million including premium, was recorded on March 10, 2000 on a copy constituted by subscription, whose colors remained remarkably fresh.
The copy for sale by Sotheby's, estimated £ 4M, has similar qualities. It was collected by the eleventh subscriber in Audubon's ledger, a paleobotanist from Edinburgh who was convinced of the value of the project during a wine party with the author.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great success for this outstanding book: £ 7.3 million including premium.
Let's start with the birds. We already know them in the Prints group. Here is (slightly modified) how I summarized the importance of this work:
Lovers of top auctions remember the outstanding results obtained by Christie's in New York on the major work of Audubon, The Birds of America. The four volumes contain 435 hand colored etchings.
These prints are in double elephant folio size, the largest known format for an illustrated book: 100 x 67 cm. The gigantic size is related to the goal that John James Audubon managed for the great work of his life: he wanted all his birds being displayed in their natural habitat in life size, even for the largest. This American had to travel to England to find a publisher: he was Robert Havell, in London. The publication spanned twelve years (1827-1838). Such a duration was not unusual at this time for ambitious books.
The highest price achieved at Christie's, $ 8.8 million including premium, was recorded on March 10, 2000 on a copy constituted by subscription, whose colors remained remarkably fresh.
The copy for sale by Sotheby's, estimated £ 4M, has similar qualities. It was collected by the eleventh subscriber in Audubon's ledger, a paleobotanist from Edinburgh who was convinced of the value of the project during a wine party with the author.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great success for this outstanding book: £ 7.3 million including premium.
1827-1838 The Grocer of Louisville
2019 SOLD for $ 6.6M including premium
In 1807 two young Frenchmen open a general store in Louisville, Kentucky. Jean-Jacques Audubon cannot concentrate on his work. He is passionate about hunting and bird watching. He takes the US citizenship in 1812 and anglicizes his first name as John James.
He is early trained in taxidermy and participates in one of the earliest attempts of bird ringing. His method is unprecedented. He kills his specimen with a shotgun and straightens it in a natural pose with a wire. Then he draws it life size, often with its female or its prey. He never draws from a stuffed bird.
Audubon goes bankrupt in 1819. Against the advice of his friends but with the support of his wife, he decides to publish his work. American learned societies repel this man from the woods who had ridiculed one of their honorable fellows. In 1826, right in the romantic period, he arrives in England with his collection of watercolors.
The work to be done is colossal. He wants to maintain the 97 x 66 cm format of his drawing sheets but no book has ever been printed in such a big size. The plates should be colored one by one by hand. The only solution is the subscription. He finds in Edinburgh in 1827 a printer, Lizars, to carry out the work. A first booklet of 10 plates, numbered from I to X, is prepared.
There will be no second issue by Lizars, following a strike of the colorists. The business is now entrusted to Havell in London, until the 435th and final plate in 1838. The five volumes of texts are published separately in octavo format between 1831 and 1839.
On December 18 in New York, Sotheby's sells a complete set, in very good condition despite the obscuring of some captions by the binding. It was formed for the subscription of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society received by Audubon in April 1827. Plates I, III, and V to X are in the first state printed by Lizars.
This lot was sold for £ 1.76M including premium by Sotheby's on June 21, 1990. It is now estimated $ 6M, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The complete copy assembled around 1838 for the Duke of Portland with some remaining stock includes all the first ten plates in the Lizars edition and is in perfect condition. It was sold for $ 9.7M including premium by Christie's on June 14, 2018. A full set in its original binding, resulting from one of the very first subscriptions, was sold for £ 7.3M including premium by Sotheby's on December 7, 2010.
He is early trained in taxidermy and participates in one of the earliest attempts of bird ringing. His method is unprecedented. He kills his specimen with a shotgun and straightens it in a natural pose with a wire. Then he draws it life size, often with its female or its prey. He never draws from a stuffed bird.
Audubon goes bankrupt in 1819. Against the advice of his friends but with the support of his wife, he decides to publish his work. American learned societies repel this man from the woods who had ridiculed one of their honorable fellows. In 1826, right in the romantic period, he arrives in England with his collection of watercolors.
The work to be done is colossal. He wants to maintain the 97 x 66 cm format of his drawing sheets but no book has ever been printed in such a big size. The plates should be colored one by one by hand. The only solution is the subscription. He finds in Edinburgh in 1827 a printer, Lizars, to carry out the work. A first booklet of 10 plates, numbered from I to X, is prepared.
There will be no second issue by Lizars, following a strike of the colorists. The business is now entrusted to Havell in London, until the 435th and final plate in 1838. The five volumes of texts are published separately in octavo format between 1831 and 1839.
On December 18 in New York, Sotheby's sells a complete set, in very good condition despite the obscuring of some captions by the binding. It was formed for the subscription of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society received by Audubon in April 1827. Plates I, III, and V to X are in the first state printed by Lizars.
This lot was sold for £ 1.76M including premium by Sotheby's on June 21, 1990. It is now estimated $ 6M, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The complete copy assembled around 1838 for the Duke of Portland with some remaining stock includes all the first ten plates in the Lizars edition and is in perfect condition. It was sold for $ 9.7M including premium by Christie's on June 14, 2018. A full set in its original binding, resulting from one of the very first subscriptions, was sold for £ 7.3M including premium by Sotheby's on December 7, 2010.
