Charles Amand Durand Interior Prints

"Poulaho, King of the Friendly Islands, Drinking Kava" is an engraving created by William Sharp (1749-1824), from a drawing by John Webber (1752-1793), who was the artist on Captain James Cook's 3rd and final voyage of discovery. It was published in the atlas of "A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean Undertaken by the Command of His Majesty, for Making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere", the official British Admirality sanctioned journal published upon completion of the voyage in London in 1784 by Strahan & Cadell. Captain Cook visited Tonga on his 3rd voyage, which he named The Friendly Islands because of the warm welcome he and his crew received, unlike some of the other more hostile Pacific islands. The engraving depicts Cook and his men observed a kava ceremony at the village of Mu’a on Tongatapu. King Paulaho sits in the centre foreground, his back to the spectator with a man kneeling before him. The ceremonial mat depicted behind Paulaho indicates that nobody was allowed to sit behind him. The figure in the centre holds a single cup, referring to the Tongan custom of offering the cup to the king first. Kava is native to the islands of the South Pacific and was first described for English readers in 1768 by Captain James Cook. The kava root has been used for centuries as a central feature of ceremonies and celebrations because it was able to bring about a calming and pleasant social atmosphere. The root was crushed and processed into coconut milk to become the focal ceremonial beverage, simply referred to as kava. This engraving is presented in a Koa wood frame and a white mat. Koa wood is legendary in Hawaii. There are occasional faint spots, but the print is otherwise in very good condition. This amazing Koa wood is native to Hawaii and it is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain pattern. Koa has an honored heritage in Hawaii and is highly revered and sacred. The word “koa” means “warrior” in Hawaiian. The warriors of King Kamehameha the Great, created canoes and weapons from a wood plentiful on the Big Island of Hawaii. This wood became synonymous with the warriors themselves, and it became known as koa. There are three other engravings listed from the official journal of Captain Cook's 3rd voyage available that are presented in identical Koa wood frames and mats (LU117324682422, LU117324684052, LU117324684032). They would make a wonderful grouping for a display of 2, 3 or 4 prints. A discount is available for a grouping depending on the number of items included. Captain Cook is remembered as one of the greatest explorers and navigators in history. His explorations included Australia, New Zealand and islands of the South Pacific and the northwest coast of North America. Hawaii was discovered by Captain Cook during this voyage. Hawaii was originally called The Sandwich Islands in honor of The Earl of Sandwich...

Original Ajanta India vintage travel poster from 1959. Archival linen backed in Grade A condition, ready to frame. Note that a later edition of this poster was printed but the im...

This is a framed 18th century Giovanni Battista Piranesi etching entitled: "Veduta interna del Sepocro di Santa Costanza, fabbricat...

This large framed 18th century etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi entitled "Veduta dell'interno dell'Anfiteatro Flavio detto il Colosseo" (View of the interior of the Flavian Amph...

This early 19th century framed 35" x 31" engraving by artist Amand-Durand depcits an etching of 'Jesus and the Woman at the Well,' after the Dutch master, Rembrandt van Rijn. This poignant Biblical story is depicted by Arman-Durand in Rembrandt style...

This large framed 18th century etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi is entitled "Vaso antico di Marmo adornato di eccellenti Sculture si nella parte anteriere che nell' opposta, le ...

Interiors VII: The Train from Munich Robert E. Townsend, 1991. Resist ground etching and engraving with hand refinement in charcoal, pencil, stabilo, and eraser on BFK Rives white wove paper, 20 x 36 inches (507 x 914 mm), full margins. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 51/175 by the artist in pencil, lower margin. A brilliant, inky impression with luminous light and gradient tones. In excellent condition with one extremely minor and superficial spot of light tan adhesive residue on the verso, unobtrusive and not visible on the recto, with no other visible defects. With the blind stamp of the printer, Robert E. Townsend in the lower left margin. An especially fine impression in superb condition. [Milton 113]. When asked about this work in particular, Milton expressed that his favorite images were his darkest images, in theme, mood, and in ink. Milton, who has said that his work is infused with a postmodern awareness of the past, has focused here in a deeply personal way on a segment of history that continues to haunt us all. The work, published in 1991, evokes one of the darkest periods of European history, the eroding and erasing of European culture under fascism, and the eventual total loss of humanity. The Train from Munich is an especially relevant and emotional work for Milton, who created the piece for his wife, Edith, who escaped Munich in 1939 as a child on the fabled Kinderstransport. The Kinderstransport was a desperate rescue effort on the part of the British government to save as many Jewish children as possible by railway before borders closed on the precipice of the Second World War. Children left their parents behind, and boarded the trains alone, leaving the impending doom of Nazi Germany, they arrived in Great Britain as refugees. More than 10,000 children escaped the holocaust via the Kinderstransport. In Train from Munich, the image itself holds an almost immeasurable amount of symbolism; each inch of the matrix is a successful effort to confront this history in a way that is poignant through a series of motifs. We see the Café disappearing into a ghostlike memory of the past, an allegory to the disintegration of culture, while through the windows we can see a rampant, snarling dog; a portrait of Hitler's shepherd, Blondi. Blondi isn't the only notable figure in the composition. Milton has pointed out that the fading figure of the doorman at the Hotel Metropole is modeled after the artist and intellectual Marcel Duchamp, and the face of the young girl peering...

A faithful architectural rendering of the earliest Ashkenazi synagogue constructed in London; built about 1690, and subsequently destroyed in the Blitz, 1941. London: Rudolph Ackerm...

The two plates in this set were created utilizing both engraving and etching techniques by William Hogarth in 1753, originally as illustrations of his book on aesthetics, entitled "Analysis of Beauty". Due to their popularity, these plates were later published separately. The publication line in the lower right reads: "Designed, Engraved, and Publish'd by Wm. Hogarth, March 5th 1753, according to Act of Parliament." Hogarth's original copper plates were refurbished where needed by James Heath and engravings were republished in London in 1822 by Braddock, Cradock & Joy. This was the last time Hogarth's copper plates were used for printing. Most were melted during World War I for the construction of bombs. These large folio sized "Analysis of Beauty" engravings are presented in antiqued gold-colored frames with double mats; the outer silk mats are light brown-colored and the inner mats are dark brown. Each frame measures 27.38" x 31.25" x 1.13". There is one tiny spot in the right margin of plate 1 and another in the lower margin; the latter could be from the printing process. The prints are otherwise in excellent condition. The "Analysis of Beauty" series is in the collection of many major museums, including: The British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Tate Museum, The Chicago Art Institute and The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The first engraving (Plate 1) depicts a courtyard of statues which is filled with some of the most famous works of classical sculpture. The most important sculptures are surrounded by less impressive works. The Medicean Venus (#13) is in the center with a statue of Julius Caesar (#19) to the right, elevated on a pulley with a short, overdressed Brutus stands over the falling Caesar. The Apollo Belvedere (#12) is next. A judge stands to the right with his foot on a cherub (#16). Another crying cherub holds a gallows and wipes his tears with the judge's robe. A sphinx (#21) and the drunken Silenus (#107) are below the Venus. Michaelangelo's torso (#54) and a statue of Antonius (#6) are seen in the foreground. The Farnese Hercules (#3) and a bust of another Hercules (#4) under two statuettes of Isis are also included in the scene. The key to these objects is included in the form of a serpentine line winding around a cone (#26), Hogarth's "Line of Beauty". For Hogarth the winding line is an essential element of beauty in art. Hogarth's theory of beauty is communicated in this plate. Plate 2 is thought to represent the Wanstead Assembly, with the Earl of Tynley and his household. It is an adaptation of a scene in the Happy Marriage series, which complements Hogarth's Marriage à la Mode...

A rare early 19th century view of the Great Fire of London over Ludgate, enhanced with hand coloring. London: Robert Wilkinson, 1811. Copperplat...

Young Girl by Bernard Sanders (1906-1967) is a classic example of his masterful portraiture. This is a drypoint. It is signed in pencil, titled in the lower left margin, and initial...

"Vaso Cinerario di Gran Mole. Le Teste dei Giovenchi mostrano di reggere it pesante Festone composto di Frutti Fiori Grans ed use. Il tuto Necefsario all Vita Umana. Il Restante degl...