Timeless Intaglio Art

This framed hand-colored stipple engraving entitled "Cactus Peruvianus Cierge du Pérou" by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Plate 58 from his illustrated publication 'Plantarum Historia Succulentarum ou Histoire des Plantes Grasses', published in Paris in 1799. It depicts a branching limb of a cactus with a beautiful flower. There is a separate detail of the anatomy of a seed with early growth. Redoute was a pioneer of the stipple engraving technique, which he used to create this image. It involves utilizing a series of small dots worked into a copper plate rather than the more common lines. These dots can be made smaller or thicker depending on the degree of opacity the artist intends for various areas of the print. When inked and applied to paper, this allows for a greater portion of the paper to be seen, which accentuates the appearance of luminosity of the subject the artist is creating. Different color inks are used in the printing process, a time consuming technique known as "a la poupee". The engraving is then finished with watercolor to further enhance the beauty and realism of the print subject. This engraving of a flowering cactus is presented in silver-colored ribbed wood frame and a double mat; cream-colored outer mat and heather green inner mat. The frame measures 21.25" high by 17.25" wide by 1.13" deep. The sheet measures 19.88" high by 14" wide. There are wide margins with a few short tears and chips along the the left, right and upper edges, which are all covered by the mat. There are small spots predominantly in the margins, with a few present in the image area. The print is otherwise in very good condition. There is another Redoute flowering cactus listed on 1stdibs, LU117326853392, which is framed and matted identically to this one. The pair would make an attractive display grouping. Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840), was a painter and botanist originally from Belgium, who pursued his extremely successful artistic career in France. He is well known for his watercolor paintings of roses, lilies and other flowers and their subsequent folio-sized, color stipple engravings. Some believe him to be the greatest botanical illustrator of all time. Redouté was a favorite of the French royal court at the time and of the post French...

This is an early 18th century hand-colored copperplate engraving of lemons by Johann Christoph Volkhamer entitled "Cedro a Ditela o Multiforme" from his publication "Nurmbergische He...

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 old master engraving entitled "Allegorie op de Rechtspraak" is by Willem van Swaanenburg after a painting by Joachim Wtewael, published by Ch...

This large hand-colored map entitled "La Seigneurie d'Utrecht. Dressé sur les memoires les plus nouveaux par le Sr. Sanson" was originally created by Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville. Thi...

This is an 18th century etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi entitled "Veduta del Tempio detto della Tosse su la Via Tiburtina, un miglio vicino a Tivoli" (View of the so-called Tem...

This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Comte De Hollande Dressee sur les Memoires les plus Nouveaux" was originally created by Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville. This version was publish...

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...

This large hand-colored map entitled "Estats de L'Empire des Turqs en Europe, ou sont les Beglerbeglicz our Gouvernements" was originally created by Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville and this version was published by Hubert Jaillot in "Atlas Nouveau" in Paris in 1692. It depicts the territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe, predominantly Eastern Europe. Highlights include, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Black Sea, the Dalmation Coast including present day Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, North Macedonia, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Transylvania, Moldova and southern portions of France, Switzerland, Germany, and Poland.. The map consists of two sheets joined as one along a vertical joint. The map has original hand-coloring. It is printed on antique hand-made laid, chain-linked paper with wide margins. The sheet measures 24.88" high and 38" wide. There is a central vertical joint, as issued. The map is in very good condition. Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600-1667) was one of the greatest French cartographather of French cartography. Sanson opened his first printing business in Paris in 1638. The king recognized his skill and knowledge and made him the official geographer to the court. He eventually served two kings in this capacity. Sanson was succeeded by his sons and son...

This large 17th century hand-colored map of Vienna, Austria and the surrounding countryside and villages entitled "Plan de la Ville de Vienne en Austrich...

This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Royaume de Naples Divisé en Douze Provinces. sur les Memoires les plus Nouveaux. Par le Sr. Sanson Presenté" was originally created by Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville and published by Hubert Jaillot in "Atlas Nouveau" in Paris in 1692. It depicts central and southern Italy, as well as Corfu, Albania, Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea. Naples, Sorrento, the Isle of Capri, Rome in the upper left corner of the map, as well as many other landmarks. This striking original hand-colored map of Italy is printed on antique hand-made laid, chain-linked paper with wide margins. The sheet measures 20" high and 24.88" wide. There is one spot on the left, it is otherwise in very good to excellent condition. Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville (1600-1667) was one of the greatest French cartographather of French cartography. Sanson opened his first printing business in Paris in 1638. The king recognized his skill and knowledge and made him the official geographer to the court. He eventually served two kings in this capacity. Sanson was succeeded by his sons and son...

This large 17th century copper plate hand-colored engraved map entitled "Gouvernement D'Orleans et la Generalite divisee en ses Elections Par...

This large hand-colored 17th century copperplate engraved map entitled "Le Royaume D Angleterre, distingué en ses Provinces. Par le Sr. Sanson. Geographe du Roy. Presenté A Monseigne...

This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Royaume de Portugal et des Algarves Divisee en see Archeveches, Eveches et Territoires Par le Sr Sanson" was originally created by Nicholas S...

This large original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of Africa entitled "L'Afrique divisee suivant l'estendue de ses principales parties ou sont distingues les uns des autres, L...

This large original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of southern Greece and the Pelopponese Peninsula entitled "La Moree Et Les Isles De Zante, Cefalonie, Ste. Marie, Cerigo & C...

This large hand-colored map entitled "Le Duché et Gouvernement de Normandie divisée en Haute et Basse Normandie en divers Pays; et par evêchez, avec le Gouvernement General du Havre ...

This beautiful framed botanical watercolor painting is signed Fatima S in the lower right. This colorful botanical painting depicts peach-c...

An 18th century etching and engraving entitled "Earl Sandwich Refusing to Leave His Ship While on Fire in the Battle of Sole Bay" by William Byrne (1743-1805), after a painting by Robert Smirke (1753-1845). It was published in London in 1798. The print is presented in a cream-colored mat. The mat measures 17.13" in height and 13" in width. The print is in excellent condition. Edward Montagu, the 1st Earl of Sandwich...

This framed hand-colored etching and aquatint entitled "A Great Man on The Turf or Sir Solomon in all his Glory" by James Gillray was published in London by Hanna Humphrey, 27 St. James Street on July 7th 1803. The print is signed in the plate in the lower right. It depicts a man, possibly a caricature of the racehorse breeder Sir Solomon. However, there has been some controversy about the identity of the central figure on the mound. Traditionally the man has been thought to represent John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford...

This is an original 18th Century copper plate engraved portrait of Captain James Cook as a young man. It was engraved by J. Basire after a painting by William Hodges, published in London by W. Strahan and T. Cadell in the Strand in 1777 as the frontispiece to the official journal publication of Cook's 2nd voyage of discovery, "A voyage towards the South Pole, and round the World. Performed in His Majesty's ships the Resolution and Adventure, in the years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775". The journal was written by James Cook, Commander of the Resolution, which was the ship used for the voyage and William Hodges, who was the artist on board the ship. This famous image has been used in many articles and tributes to Captain Cook, including a Norfolk Island stamp celebrating his many accomplishments. This engraved head-and-shoulders portrait of Captain Cook is enclosed in an oval with the appearance of a stone border. Captain Cook is dressed in his naval dress uniform, with a topcoat over a lace shirt. The engraving is printed on watermarked laid, chain-linked paper. The sheet measures 11.5" high x 9" wide. There is some spotting, most prominently in the margins. The print is otherwise in excellent condition. Captain James Cook (1728-1779) was an English explorer, navigator, surveyor and cartographer, who dramatically changed what was known about the world through his three voyages of discovery in the 1770's. Cook's achievements are too numerous to include here, but for example, Cook charted much of the Pacific Ocean and discovered many island groups, including the Hawaiian islands, which he named the Sandwich Islands, in honor of the head of the British Admiralty and a patron of Cook's. Cook was the first European to explore the eastern coast of Australia, and he was the first to map the New Zealand coastline. He sailed farther south than any other explorer before him, disproving the belief that a huge land mass occupied the South Pole. He also explored the northwest coast of North America, including present day Alaska and adjacent portions of Russia. He proved that the Northwest Passage did not exist. Cook was an exceptional seaman, navigator and leader of men, which contributed to the success of his explorations, but also saved his ship and crew on many occasions when faced with challenges, such as storms in previously unexplored waters, like occurred in the Great Barrier Reef off the eastern coast of Australia. He is also the first to require his crew to eat citrus fruit which markedly reduced the incidence of survey, which had led to large scale illness and death during earlier ocean voyages. As outstanding as Cook's skills were, they are even more impressive since they were self-taught. Having grown up the son of a farmhand in Northern England he had only four years of formal schooling. He taught himself astronomy, mathematics and other disciplines which were helpful when he continued his education, first in the merchant marine and then in the British Navy. Cook's adventurous career came to a sudden and unfortunate end in 1779, when he was killed in a confrontation with Hawaiian natives...

A 17th century hand-colored map entitled "Guineae Nova Descriptio" by Gerard Mercator and Jodocus Hondius, published in their 'Atlas Minor' in Amsterdam in 1635. It is focused on the...

A 17th century copperplate hand-colored map entitled "The Sixt Table of England" by Gerard Mercator and Jodocus Hondius, published in Amsterdam in 1635 in 'Cosmographicall Descriptio...

A 17th century copperplate hand-colored map entitled "The Second Table of Ireland, Udrone" by Gerard Mercator and Jodocus Hondius, published in Amsterdam in 1635 in 'Cosmographicall ...

This lithographic colored advertising poster entitled "Tom Sawyer Detective, A New Story by Mark Twain" was created by Edward Penfield in 1897 for Harper & Brothers. The artist's signature appears in the plate in the lower left. The poster depicts a man in a long black bathing suit sitting with his knees up, aimlessly smoking a cigarette, but looking out of the corner of his eyes at a woman in a olive green dress and tan blouse and a black hat, who sits to his left with her head propped in her left hand and a bored or concerned look on her face. The look on the faces of the couple creates an air of mystery. The title of the book is printed in red in the upper left and the issue "Harper's August" in bold letters in the lower poster. The poster promotes a new book by Mark Twain that was published initially in two issues of Harper's Monthly and also in book form by Harper & Brothers in 1896. It is a sequel to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", published in 1876, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", published in 1884, and "Tom Sawyer Abroad", also published in 1894. The plot of the book involves Tom Sawyer attempting to solve a mysterious murder. The story is told using the first-person narrative voice of his friend Huck Finn...

This is an original 19th century Currier and Ives hand-colored lithograph entitled "The Celebrated Trotting Team Edward and Swiveller, Owned by Frank Work Esq. N.Y.: Winning their ma...

This an 18th century copper plate engraved portrait of Sir Francis Drake by Jacobus Houbraken, after a painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, from "The Hea...

This is an 18th century copperplate engraved portrait of Sir Francis Bacon, Viscount St. Albans, Lord Chancellor by Jacobus Houbraken in 1738 after a p...

This is an 18th century copperplate engraved portrait of Lieutenant General Talmash by Jacobus Houbraken after a painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, from "The Heads of Illustrious Perso...

This is an 18th century copperplate engraved portrait of Joseph Addison, Esq. by Jacobus Houbraken after a painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, from "The Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain", published in London in 1748 by John & Paul Knapton. It depicts a bust portrait of Addison in an ornamental oval. He is turned to his right, but he is looking directly at the viewer. He is wearing a dark coat over a white shirt. Below the oval are items relating to plays, music, as well as the rod of Asclepius and books lying in foreground on the right. Joseph Addison (1672-1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. he founded The Spectator magazine with his friend Richard Steele. In 1712, Addison wrote his most famous work, "Cato, a Tragedy". It focussed on the last days of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis, He was dealing with issues of individual liberty versus government tyranny. The play was particularly popular in America. It is credited as an inspiration for the American Revolution. General George Washington had Cato performed for the Continental Army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78. Several famous quotations from the American Revolution were inspired by passages in Cato, including: Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death!", inspired by Act II, Scene 4: "It is not now time to talk of aught, But chains or conquest, liberty or death.") and Nathan Hale...

This is an 18th century copperplate engraved portrait of the 17th century physician and scientist Thomas Willis, MD from "The Heads of Illustrious Person...

An 18th century engraved portrait of William Harvey, MD by Jacobus Houbraken after a painting by Wilhem von Bemmel, from "The Heads of Illustrious Pers...

This is a scarce richly hand colored copper plate engraved map of Africa entitled "Guinea Propria, nec non Nigritiae vel Terrae Nigrorum Maxima Pars" by Johann Baptist Homann (1664-1...

This colorful and detailed 17th century copperplate map by Frederick De Wit was published in Amsterdam between 1666 and 1690. It depicts the Caspian Se...

This is a framed hand-colored 17th century map of Northern Scotland by Gerard Mercator entitled "Scotiae pars Septentrionalis", published in Amsterdam in 1636. It is a highly detailed map of the northern part of Scotland, with the northwest Highlands and the cities Inverness and Aberdeen, as well as the Orkney Islands and the Hebrides. There is a decorative title cartouche in the upper left corner. The map is presented in an antiqued brown wood...

This is a framed hand-colored 16th century map of Northern Scotland by Gerard Mercator entitled "Scotiae pars Septentrionalis", published in Amsterdam in 1636. It is a highly detailed map of the northern part of Scotland, with the northwest Highlands and the cities Inverness and Aberdeen, as well as the Orkney Islands and the Hebrides. There is a decorative title cartouche in the upper left corner. The map is presented in an antiqued brown wood...

A limited edition woodcut portrait of Don Quixote de la Marcha by George De Groat (1917-1995). Don Quixote is instantly recognizable due to his thin fa...

This is a Jacques Bellin copper-plate map entitled "Partie de la Coste de Guinee Dupuis la Riviere de Sierra Leona Jusquau Cap das Palmas", depicting the coast of Guinea and Sierra L...

This large 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 quail r...

Jacques Bellin's copper-plate map of the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts entitled "Carte De De l'Isle St. Christophe Pour servir á l'Histoire Genle. des V...

This is an original John James Audubon hand-colored 1st octavo edition lithograph entitled "Whooping Crane, Male, adult", No. 63, Plate 313 from Audubon...

This is a hand-colored folio sized lithograph entitled "Yunx indica" (Indian Wryneck) by John Gould from his monograph "The Birds of Asia", published in London in 1850-1883. The pri...

This is a hand-colored folio sized lithograph entitled "Hemicircus Cordatus" (Heart Spotted Woodpecker) by John Gould from his monograph "The Birds of Asia", published in London in 1...

This is a hand-colored folio sized lithograph entitled "Iyngipicu Maculatus" (Sonnerat's Pygmy Woodpeckers) by John Gould from his monograph "The Birds of Asia", published in London ...

This is a hand-colored folio sized lithograph entitled "Iyngipicus Gymnophthalamus" (Ceylonese Pygmy Woodpecker) by John Gould from his monograph "The Birds of Asia", published in London in 1850-1883. The print, which was drawn by Gould and W. Hart and lithographed by Hullmandel and Walton, depicts two striped brown and ivory-colored woodpeckers with white and black on their heads. One is perched on a tree limb with pea green-colored leaves and the other on a round rose, brown-colored fruit. Both are pecking at fruit. This beautiful Gould hand-colored woodpecker lithograph measures 21" x 14.13". There is minimal faint focal discoloration in the lower margin. It is otherwise in excellent condition. The original text page is included with a round blindstamp in the right lower corner. There are several other unframed Gould woodpecker and other bird lithographs available via our 1stdibs storefront. Two or more of these would make an attractive display grouping. A discount is available for purchase of a set depending on the number. These additional Gould hummingbirds...

This is a hand-colored folio sized lithograph entitled "Selasphorus Scintilla" (Little Flame-bearer Hummingbirds) by John Gould, Plate 162 in his "A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-birds", published in London in 1850. The print, which was drawn by Gould and Henry Richter and lithographed by Hullmandel and Walton, depicts three brown, green, ochre-colored hummingbirds with flame red protrusions under their beaks; perched on broad moss green-colored leaves of a plant with pale blue-colored flowers. This beautiful Gould hand-colored hummingbird lithograph is augmented with iridescent gum-arabic paint. It is in excellent condition. The original text page is included, which has extensive foxing related to the lower quality paper used for the text pages in the publication. There are several other unframed Gould hummingbird...

This is a hand-colored copper-plate engraving entitled "Cistusflore Albo, Balaustium Flore Minori Romanum, Cotinus", depicting flowering Pomegranate, Rock Rose...

This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Matricaria Flore Simplici, Matricaria Flore Pleno, depicting flowering Feverfew and Double-flowered Feverfew plants, from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden at Eichstatt), first published in 1613 in Eichstatt, Germany near Nuremberg and later in 1640 and 1713. The feverfew plant is also known as featherfew, featherfoil, or bachelor’s buttons...

This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Cataputia Vulgaris, Parietaria Sylvestris, Nummularia", depicting flowering Spanish Nut, Yellow Turk's-cap Lily, Yellow Turk's...

This is a hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Pulegium Cervinum, Pseudo Pulegium Struthium, Pulegium Regium", depicting flowering Peppermint, Weld and Pennyroyal plants respectively from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden at Eichstatt), first published in 1613 in Eichstatt, Germany near Nuremberg and later in 1640 and 1713. This beautiful colorful engraving is printed on thin laid chain-linked paper. There are subtle creases in the right upper corner, very common with Besler's relating to the drying of the paper during its production. The right margin is thinner than the others. The print is otherwise in excellent condition with striking hand-coloring. Basilius Besler (1561–1629) was an apothecary and botanist. He was curator of the Willibaldsburg Castle garden of Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, prince bishop...

This is an early 18th century hand-colored copperplate engraving of the anatomy of lemons by Johann Christoph Volkhamer, entitled "Limon Peretto" from his publication "Nurmbergische ...

This is an early 18th century hand-colored copperplate engraving of the anatomy of lemons by Johann Christoph Volkhamer, entitled "La parte interiore del Cedro di fio e Sugo doppio" ...

"Fluviorum in Europa principis Danubii" is a hand-colored map of the region about the Danube river created by Johann Baptist Homann (1663-1724) in his 'Atlas Novus Terrarum', publish...

This framed 19th century map of the Louisiana territory was published in "Gray's Atlas of the United States with General Maps of the World, accompanied by Descriptions Geographical, Historical, Scientific and Statistica" published in 1873 in Philadelphia by O.W. Gray and Son and Stedman, Brown and Lyon. It is a highly detailed map of Louisiana...

This framed original 18th century etching is entitled "Fregio antico di marmo con Ippogrifi, nel cortile del palazzo della Valle" (Ancient Marble Frieze with Hippogriffs in the Courtyard of The Palace of the Valley). The etching is by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, published in Rome in 1778. It is from Piranesi's monumental work "Vasi, Candelabri, Cippi, Sarcofagi, Tripodi, Lucerne, Ed Ornamenti Antichi", (Vases, candelabra, grave stones...

This hand-colored copper-plate map of Sweden and adjacent portions of Scandinavia entitled "Regni Sueciae in Omnes suas Subjacentes Provincias accurate divisi Tabula Generalis" was c...

This a rare 18th century hand-colored large folio-sized copperplate engraving entitled "Platalea leucorodia" (Spoonbill) by Cornelius Nozeman in volume II of his publication 'Nederlandsche Vogelen', engraved by Christiaan Sepp or his son Jan Christiaan Sepp, published in Amsterdam in 1770. This engraving depicts a Platalea leucorodia Spoonbill, a large bird that lives mainly in Europe, Asia and Africa. It commonly migrates long distances on thermal air currents from the colder Northern European climates to Sub-Saharan Africa in the winter, sometimes as far long as Finland to South Africa. The Asian black stork...

This is a rare 18th Century hand-colored large folio-sized copperplate engraving entitled "Ardea Ciconia" (White Stork) by Cornelius Nozeman in volume II of his publication 'Nederlan...

This is a rare 18th Century hand-colored copperplate engraving entitled "Der Storch Ciconia" (White Stork) by Johann Leonhard Frisch is plate 19...

This is a rare 18th Century hand-colored copperplate engraving entitled "Wasserhuhn" (Coot) by Johann Leonhard Frisch , which is plate 208 from ...