Tag: Sir George Back

Way up north with explorer of the Canadian Arctic Admiral Sir George Back who was also a talented watercolorist. Living from 1796 to 1878, he was also a naturalist.

“HMS Terror off a spectacular iceberg, believed to be in the Davis Strait, between Canada and Greenland.” 19th c. British. Watercolor. Signed “G Back” on the lower left. Image © Bonhams 2001-2021. Fair use license. via https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26404/lot/165/?category=list&length=192&page=1
“First stopped by the ice.” 1826. British. Watercolor and pencil. Signed “Capt. Back” on the lower right. Dated “July 9th 1826” on the lower left and titled in the lower center. Image © Bonhams 2001-2021. Fair use license. via https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26404/lot/166/?category=list&length=192&page=1
“Winter houses of Esquimaux.” 1826. British. Watercolor and pencil. Signed “Capt. Back” on the lower right. Dated “July 12th 1826 on the lower right. Titled on the lower center. Used as an illustration as an engraving in John Franklin’s Narrative of a second expedition to the shores of the polar sea, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827, (London, 1828), p.121. Image © Bonhams 2001-2021. Fair use license. via https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26404/lot/171/?category=list&length=192&page=1

Note: thinking this depicts the summer houses of the Esquimaux (Inuit) as they appear to be made of wood and the watercolor is dated July 1826, but winter is what it says.

“Boats in a Swell amongst heavy Ice.” 1826. British. Watercolor and pencil. Signed “Capt. Back on the lower right. Dated “Aug 24th 1826 on the lower left. Titled on the lower center. Used as an illustration as an engraving in John Franklin’s Narrative of a second expedition to the shores of the polar sea, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827, (London, 1828), p.170. Image © Bonhams 2001-2021. Fair use license. via https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26404/lot/173/?category=list&length=192&page=1

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