Month: January 2021

The Arctic when it was the new frontier. More plates from Sir George Back’s 1836 work “Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition to the Mouth of the Great Fish River, and along the Shores of the Arctic Ocean,” Sir Back having been the expedition leader. He may have done the drawings these plates are based on. It doesn’t say.

“Sussex Lake, source of the Thlew-ee-choh, August 28, 1833.” Page 169. Louis Hague, lithographer. Collections of and digitalized by the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/narrativeofarcti00back/page/n169/mode/2up






” Crossing Lake Aylmer. June 25, 1834.” Page 320. E Finden, engraver. Collections of and digitalized by the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/narrativeofarcti00back/page/n320/mode/2up
“View of the Aurora Borealis.” Page 618. Collections of and digitalized by the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/narrativeofarcti00back/page/618/mode/2up

More chapter headings from “A description of the empire of China and Chinese-Tartary : together with the kingdoms of Korea, and Tibet . . .” published in London in 1738 by Edward Cave. Jean-Baptiste du Halde, author. Probably translated Emanuel Bowen. An English translation of a French work.

Page 184. Collections of the Boston College Libraries. Boston College Member Consortium Libraries, digitalizing sponsor. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/descriptionofemp00duha/page/n183/mode/2up
Page 188. Collections of the Boston College Libraries. Boston College Member Consortium Libraries, digitalizing sponsor. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/descriptionofemp00duha/page/n188/mode/2up
Page 288. Collections of the Boston College Libraries. Boston College Member Consortium Libraries, digitalizing sponsor. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/descriptionofemp00duha/page/n287/mode/2up

Paintings of rooms in people’s houses just a while ago. Plenty of time to examine the decor before they come back. Danish. Hans Hilsøe, artist (1871-1942).

Interior scene. Undated. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed “H. HILSØE” on the lower right. Image
© Bonhams 2001-2021. Fair use license. via https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18859/lot/3/
“Kamma Rahbeks Dagligstue.” Undated. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image © 2021 Mutual Art Services, Inc. Fair use license. via https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/-Kamma-Rahbeks-Dagligstue-/03858D8C87635BB1
A room with a view. Undated. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image © 2021 Thomas Fine Art. Fair use license. via https://thomasfineart.net/product/a-room-with-a-view-hans-hilsoe/

Summer fun with Danish painter Fritz Kraul who lived from 1862 to 1935.

“Summer Party at Fakse Ladeplads.” 1908. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed “F. Kraul” on the lower right. Image ©  Uno Langmann Gallery, Vancouver. Fair use license. via https://www.langmann.com/paintings/summer-party-at-fakse-ladeplads-1908-by-fritz-kraul  
“Scenery from Raageleje with roundabout.” Undated. Danish. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image © 2021 Mutual Art Services, Inc. Fair use license. via https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Scenery-from-Raageleje-with-roundabout/C7CDF5F037A37F18

Pictures of the firmament above us, taken from Étienne Léopold Trouvelot’s pastels that were turned into plates for his 1882 work “The Trouvelot Astronomical Drawings.” Beautiful. Published by Scribner’s in New York.

“Solar protuberances: Observed on May 5, 1873 at 9h, 40m. A.M.” (rotated into the horizontal). Image ID#02. Collections of the New York Public Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-e6c8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
“Total eclipse of the sun: Observed July 29, 1878, at Creston, Wyoming Territory.” Image ID#03. Collections of the New York Public Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-e81f-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
“Group of sun spots and veiled spots: Observed on June 17th 1875 at 7 h. 30 m. A.M.” Image ID#01. Collections of the New York Public Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-e6c3-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
“Aurora Borealis: As observed March 1, 1872, at 9h. 25m. P.M.” Image ID#04. Collections of the New York Public Library. In the public domain due to age. via https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-e6cd-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Fans with floral decorations, the better to flirt the afternoon away. From Fans d’Eventails of Paris.

Advertising fan for Parfum Godet’s scent “Parmi les Fleurs” which was released in 1924. Wooden sticks and guards with a printed paper leaf. Image © Fans d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. via https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/advertising-fans/2941-parfum-godet-parmi-les-fleurs-advertising-fan.html
Roses bone brisé fan, carved and painted. Late 19th c. Image © Fans d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. via https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/19th-century-fans/2942-roses-late-19th-century-fan.html
Shepherdess and gentleman motif fan with floral decorations. Painted skin leaf with ivory sticks and guards that are pierced, carved, and have applied golden foils. ca. 1760-1770. Image © Fans d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. via https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/18th-century-fans/2933-shepherdess-and-gentleman-fan-circa-1760-70.html
Hand-fan with decorations in the motif of round bouquets. Horn pierced and painted sticks and guards. ca. 1820-1825. Image © Fans d’Eventails, Paris. Fair use license. via https://www.fandeventails.fr/en/19th-century-fans/2934-round-bouquets-fan-cica-1820-25.html

What to wear when the Medici ladies come to supper. Probably ltalian. Mid-late 16th century, taken from the “Album of Costume Studies.” Collections of the Morgan Library and Museum. Done in Watercolor and gouache, with pen and ink, some with gold or silver paint.

Woman in a pale blue dress. Watercolor and gouache with pen and ink. Folios 2 verso – 3 recto. Image
© Morgan Library and Museum. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://www.themorgan.org/collection/costume-drawings/6
Woman and man in black and red. Folios 5 verso 6 recto. Image
© Morgan Library and Museum. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://www.themorgan.org/collection/costume-drawings/9
Women with veils. Folios 14 verso 15 recto. Image
© Morgan Library and Museum. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://www.themorgan.org/collection/costume-drawings/18

Flower pictures from just a little while back. One with a few mice, too. German. Johanna Helena Herolt-Graff, botanical artist. Living from 1668 to 1723, she was the daughter of Maria Sibylla Merian and had a father who was an artist too.

“Study of a Lily, Columbines and other Flowers.” ca. 1702-1711.  German. Watercolor and gouache on vellum. Attributed to Herolt-Graff. Image © 2021 Arader Galleries. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://aradernyc.com/products/herolt-graff-johanna-helena-1668-1717-attributed-to-study-of-a-lily-columbines-and-other-flowers-ca-1702-1711
“White Cyclamen.” After 1691. German. Watercolor and gouache over black chalk or charcoal, on vellum. Collections of the Städel Museum. Image © 2021 Städel Museum. Fair use license. via https://sammlung.staedelmuseum.de/en/work/white-cyclamen
“Three mice nibbling fruit.” Undated. German. Watercolor on parchment. Image © Morgan Library and Museum. Fair use license. via https://www.themorgan.org/drawings/item/144559

Portraits of the Empress Josephine of France. French. Firmin Massot, artist. Living from 1766 to 1849, he was from Switzerland but also painted in France.

Portrait of the Empress Josephine of France (1763-1814), bust-length, wearing a white muslin dress Bust length portrait of the Empress Josephine of France wearing a white muslin dress. ca. 1804-1810. Image © 2021 Sotheby’s. Fair use license. via https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/a-mayfair-pied-a-terre-an-interior-by-alidad/portrait-of-the-empress-josephine-of-france-1763
Portrait of Josephine de Beauharnais. 1812. Oil on canvas. Collection of the Hermitage, Saint Petersburg. Image in the public domain in the United States because the artist has been dead over 100 years. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Firmin_Massot_-_Jos%C3%A9phine_de_France_full.jpeg

Lace designs from back when making lace was popular with aristocratic ladies who were always in need of new patterns. Taken from Isabella Parasole and Elisabetta Catanea’s 1616 work “Teatro delle nobili et virtuose donne, dove si reppresentano varii disegni di lavori novamente inventatidisegnati de Elisabetta Catanea.”

‘Lavori a punto reticella.” Number 7. Page 5. Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cc0 License 0. via https://archive.org/details/Parasole1616TeatroMET/page/n5/mode/2up
‘Lavori a punto reticella.” Number 8. Page 5. Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cc0 License 0. via https://archive.org/details/Parasole1616TeatroMET/page/n5/mode/2up
“Lavori de Maglia.” Number 44. Page 37. Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cc0 License 0. via https://archive.org/details/Parasole1616TeatroMET/page/n37/mode/2up