Henry François Farny

San Francisco Sicilian and Italian Fishermen: A 19th C. Hand-colored Woodcut

1889

A colorful and attractive hand-colored 19th century woodcut engraving entitled "A Game of Lacrosse" after a drawing by W. H. Hall. It was published in New York in Harper's Weekly on May 10, 1884. It depicts a scene from an intense lacrosse game. This hand-colored woodcut engraving is presented in a red mat that measures 16" high x 20.63" wide. The sheet measures 10.63" high x 15.88" wide. There is a central fold, as issued. The print is in excellent condition. Lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America, possibly originating as far back as the 1400's. The sport was first invented by Native Americans, who originally played it as a means to toughen braves for war or to settle tribal disputes. It was played by between 100 and 1,000 participants at a time. There were no strict boundaries and the game could cover miles and take days to complete. It was very violent with many injuries, which were sometimes fatal. The game was unknown to whites until the 17th century when a Jesuit priest observed Heron Indians playing it. He thought the stick and netting resembled the "crosier" carried by bishops during religious ceremonies, This led to the name "la crosse". A Canadian dentist standardized the rules of the game in 1867 and the 1st college team was created at New York University in 1877. The game gained national attention and popularity in 1956 when the Hall-of-Fame football player Jim Brown...

This is a framed hand-colored woodcut engraving entitled "California Gold Diggers - A Scene From Actual Life At The Mines" created by John Andrew and publi...

This is a 17th century hand-colored copperplate engraving entitled "Cartusia Bruxellensis" by Lucas Vorsterman, the Younger, after a drawing by Jacob van Werden or Jacques van Weerden, published in 1659 in Antonius Sanderus' book 'Chorographia sacra Brabantiae sive celebrium aliquot in ea provincia ecclesiarum et coenobiorum descriptio . . . Brussel' (A sacred chorography of Brabant, or a description of several famous churches and convents in that province). It also appeared in other publications by Sanderus. In the 17th century, Brussels was within the Duchy of Brabant. This engraving depicts a bird's-eye view of the Scheut Carthusian Monastery in Brussels. Scheut is a district of Anderlecht, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. The monastery housed monks, who took a vow of silence, in 20 rooms. There is a central courtyard with trees and shrubs. Monks are depicted strolling along its pathways. The cells for the friars are in the middle the cloister. There are people along the streets in the foreground and to the right of the large, imposing monastery. Some are on horseback, others are walking. In the lower right, what appears to be a dog pulls a small cart containing barrels, possibly of beer or wine. Districts and neighborhoods are labelled in the background, including Scheut, Anderlecht and Ransfort. A very ornate cartouche in the lower left contains Latin and the artist's attribution. Another decorative cartouche in the upper central area contains the title. This beautifully hand-colored and detailed engraving is printed on laid, chain-linked paper with wide, full margins. The sheet measures 17.25" high and 21.25" wide. It has Latin text on the verso. It has a central vertical fold, as issued, which is reinforced on the verso. Two small spots in the lower margin may actually represent drops of watercolor paint used to color the engraving. It is otherwise in very good condition. Antonius Sanderus (1586-1664) was a Flemish Catholic cleric and historian. He was born "Antoon Sanders", but Latinized his name like many writers and scholars of his time. He was the author of several books, including 'Chorographia Sacra Brabantiae', which was illustrated with this engraving. Lucas Vorsterman the Younger (1624-between 1666 & 1676) was a Flemish Baroque engraver and draughtsman. He produced engravings after the work of contemporary painters and for books by Antwerp publishers. Jacob van Werden or Jacques van Weerden (active 1643-1669), was a Flemish draughtsman, cartographer, military engineer and archer who was active in the Habsburg Netherlands. His drawings were used as designs for prints executed by various printmakers. He worked on maps, topographical views, historical scenes, portraits and book illustrations. He had a career as a military engineer and a member of the guard of the Spanish King. He advised on various military engineering projects and was an engineer of the Spanish army...

This colorful and detailed 17th century hand-colored copperplate map by Frederick De Wit was published in Amsterdam between 1666 and 1760. The map depicts the Île-de-France, which is one of the ancient provinces of France. Paris is located in the center of the map, with Versailles to the southwest The map extends from Rouen in the west to Reims in the east. The area around Paris, the Véxin Français, was the original domain of the king of France. Other areas were ruled by French feudal lords. For example, the Véxin Normand area was the domain of the Duke of Normandy...

This beautiful 19th century framed hand-colored engraving/etching entitled "Ullyses Deriding Polyphemus" by Edward Goodall is based on an original 1829 painting by the renowned Briti...

This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of a bird's-eye View of Embden, Germany entitled " Emuda, vulgo Embden vrbs Frisia orientalis primaria" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, in volume II of their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne, Germany in 1575. This is a beautifully colored and detailed map of Emden, a seaport in northwestern Germany, along the Ems River and perhaps portions of over Dollart Bay, near the border with the Netherland. The map depicts a bird's-eye view of the city from the southwest, as well as a view of the harbor and an extensive system of canals. Numerous ships of various sizes, as well as two rowboats containing numerous occupants are seen in the main waterway in the foreground and additional boats line two canals in the center of the city. Two men and two women are shown on a hill in the foreground on the right, dressed in the 16th century style of nobility. Two ornate crests are included in each corner. A title strap-work cartouche is in the upper center with the title in Latin. The crest on the right including Engelke up de Muer (The Little Angel on the Wall) was granted by Emperor Maximilian I in 1495. This is an English translation of an excerpt of Braun's description of Embden: "In Emden, the capital of East Frisia, rich merchants live in very fine houses. The city has a broad and well-situated harbour, which in my opinion is unique in Holland. Frisia and the whole of the Netherlands, for the ships can anchor here right under the city walls. They have also extended the harbour as far as the New Town, so that up to 400 ships can now find shelter here when the sea is rough." The emphasis on the harbor and waterways within the city highlights the importance of Emden's place as a seaport at this time. Embden developed from a Dutch/Flemish trading settlement in the 7th-8th centuries into a city as late as late 14th century. In 1494 it was granted staple rights, and in 1536 the harbour was extended. In the mid-16th century Emden's port was thought to have the most ships in Europe. Its population then was about 5,000, rising to 15,000 by the end of the 16th century. The Ems River flowed directly under the city walls, but its course was changed in the 17th century by the construction of a canal. Emden has canals within its city limits, a typical feature of Dutch towns, which also enabled the extension of the harbor. In 1744 Emden was annexed by Prussia and is now part of Germany. It was captured by French forces in 1757 during the Seven Years' War, but recaptured by Anglo-German forces in 1758. During the Napoleonic French era, Emden and the surrounding lands of East Frisia were part of the short-lived Kingdom of Holland. References:Van der Krogt 4, 1230, State 2; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg...

Antonio Frasconi created the color woodcut entitled "View of Venice I – San Giorgio" in 1968. It is signed, titled, dated, and inscribed “17/20” in pencil. The paper size is 24 x 36 ...

Antonio Frasconi created the color woodcut entitled "View of Venice II – Bacino" in 1968. It is signed, titled, dated, and inscribed “13/18” in pencil. The paper size is 24 x 36 inch...

Colour woodcut. C1922.Signed in pencil below the image. Hall Thorpe's colourful and decorative woodcuts were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. He was ...

Louisa Chase was born in Panama City, Panama. Seven years later, her family moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She studied painting and sculpture at Syracuse University and at the Yal...

Bird’s Eye View of Glascow original 1888 wood engraving is from The Graphic by H.W. Brewer who was well known for his aerial views of topographical panoramas. He was also the fa...

Color woodcut, Edition 30 The left panel of Low Tide captures the play of light on water with abstracted colorful reflections. The right panel depicts a tr...