John Webber

A Night Dance by Women in Tonga: Original 18th C. Engraving, Cook's 3rd Voyage

1785

This is a framed 16th century map and city view of Canterbury, England entitled "Cantuarbury" by Braun & Hogenburg, from their famous landmark atlas of city views 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' (Atlas of the Cities of the World), which was first published in Cologne, Germany in 1572. The map of Canterbury was first published in 1588. It depicts a detailed birdseye view of the completely walled and fortified city of Canterbury, with its cathedral the most prominent feature. The coat of arms of England, Canterbury, and the Archbishop of Canterbury are included. This beautifully hand-colored map is presented in a gold-colored wood frame with a beaded inner trim and a paprika-colored mat that highlights details in the map. The frame measures 18.75" high by 22.25" wide by 0.875" deep. There is a central vertical fold, as issued. The map is in excellent condition. Braun and Hogenberg's 'The Civitates Orbis Terrarum' was the second atlas of maps ever published and the first atlas of cities and towns of the world. It is one of the most important books published in the 16th century. Most of the maps in the atlas were engraved by Franz Hogenberg and the text, with its descriptions of the history and additional factual information of the cities, was written by a team of writers and edited by Georg Braun. The work contained 546 bird-eye views and map views of cities and towns from all over the world. It gave graphic representation of the main features of the illustrated cities and towns, including the buildings and streets. Although the ordinary buildings are stylized, the principal buildings are reproduced from actual drawings created on location. The principal landmarks and streets can still be recognized today. In addition, the maps often include the heraldic arms of the city, the nature of the surrounding countryside, the important rivers, streams and harbors, even depicting stone bridges, wooden pontoons, flat-bottomed ferries, ships and working boats, wharves and jetties, as well as land-based activities, including horsemen, pedestrians, wagons, coaches, and palanquins. Small vignettes are often included which illustrate the trade, occupations and habits of the local inhabitants, such as agriculture, paper-making and textiles, as well as local forms of punishment, such as gibbets, wheels, floggings etc. Large figures dressed in their local costume are often presented out of proportion in the foreground. The aim of the authors was to give as much information as possible in a pleasing visual form. They succeeded in creating maps that were both informative and decorative works of art. The atlas is a wonderful glimpse of life in medieval Europe. Georg Braun (1541-1622) was German Catholic...

This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Royaume De Hongrie et les Estats qui en ont este sujets et qui font presentement La Partie Septentrionale de la Turquie en Europe" was origin...

JOSHUA FISHER (AMERICAN, EIGHTEENTH CENTURY) A Chart of Delaware Bay and River, 1776 Printed for John Bennet and Robert Sayer, London Engraving on pape...

This print of a pine tree uses kitakata Japanese tissue chine collé to depict the warmth and colour of early autumnal light. It is then backed onto Hahnemule printmaking paper. The subject matter is from Ashton Court Estate in Bristol. This body of work is based on the book by Suzanne Simard, 'Finding the Mother Tree'. Trees communicate via mycorrhizal fungi to trade water and other nutrients. Ancient and mature trees nurture their offspring via these networks, as well as trading nutrients between other species. Botanist Simard has spent years working on this theory as part of a wider body of work, discovering what it means for forests, the climate and the wider Anthropocene. My work explores the ecological sublime and an appreciation of the majesty of nature. I use detailed intaglio etching, drypoint, lithography and chine collé to draw the viewer into an ethereal landscape that has an impact on our sense of place in relation to the natural world. I use primarily black and white with natural tones of chine collé and sometimes layers of lithographic texture to introduce warmth to the stark palette and to invoke a sublime emotional connection. I work from sketches, photographs, notes and memory to create my prints. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Black & White, Chine Collé, Drypoint, Drypoint print, Etching, Etching print on Paper Edition of 20 44 H x 32 W x 1 D cm (17.32 x 12.60 x 0.39 in) Sold unframed Image size: Height: 30cm (11.81 in) Width: 20cm (7.87 in) Complete size of sheet Height: 44cm (17.32 in) Width: 32cm (12.60 in) Depth: 1cm (0.39 in) ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: Fiona Hamilton is a printmaker based in Bristol. Interested in process she uses a combination of mediums, both traditional and contemporary, to produce unique imagery, often as one off pieces or in small limited editions. She currently works in silkscreen, cyanotype and foil. Fiona’s artwork draws on a lot of natural themes such as plants, leaves, trees and creatures including lots of birds. She mostly works directly from nature or from photographs she has taken. She regularly lugs a heavy telephoto lens about to get photos of birds...