Lake Garda – Bernese Defile – Etsch – Beaumont, Jean François Albanis de (Chambéry 1755 – 1812). The Pass of Chiusa and distant Mountains near Belluno and Osseniego. On the left the Bernese Defile situated between Lake Garda and Etsch, on the right the pass with the fortifications of Fort Chiusa. With figures by the pass and on the Etsch. Aquatint printed in brown by Cornelis Apostool (1762 Amsterdam 1844). 1792. Inscribed: A. Beaumont del. / C. Apostool sculpt. / Published as the Act directs Jany 1. 1792. by T. & G. Egerton, Whitehall. for the Author, title as above. 31.5 x 44.7 cm.
Fine Tyrolese mountain landscape in the wide-margined impression of the 1st edition on buff Whatman paper.
Sir Albanis distinguishes himself as draughtsman, engraver in aquatint, and landscapist as well as architect. Hailing from the Piedmont he was naturalized in England. Egg says about him:
“ Publishes a large number of views from Italy and the Alps between 1787 and 1806 which he partly engraves himself in aquatint manner and partly lets be engraved by Cornelis Apostool. His engravings belong
to the earliest representations of pure mountain landscapes from the Tyrol … ”
Apostool, painter, draughtsman and engraver, but, like Goethe, rather to be reckoned among the so-called amateur artists, received his education at the Amsterdam Drawing Academy (1784-1786) by the landscapist Hendrik Meijer, whom subsequently he accompanied to England, where he lived many years in London. His ca. 80
fine landscape aquatints esteemed by the connoisseurs ,
frequently after Netherlandish masters and the Alpine travel sketches of Sir Albanis de Beaumont, were published in several sets between 1790 and 1795. They are the result of that period artistically so extraordinarily fertilizing to him. In later years he worked for diversion only anymore.
Simultaneously, as also still later, he worked for the Netherlandish government, on behalf of which he travelled to New York, France and repeatedly back to England.
1807 finally back in Amsterdam he became first director of the Royal Museum there the following year and member of the Royal Institute for Sciences, Literature, and Fine Arts. 1816 Knight of the Order of the Netherlandish Lion.
Offer no. 15,247 / EUR 670. / export price EUR 637. (c. US$ 858.) + shipping
See also
“ Tyrol in Selected Subjects ”
“ Thank you Mr. Niemeyer – I will take it! … It should look very nice in my new office. Best regards ”
(Mr. J. R. L., January 6, 2006)