The most bêutiful French naval books and ports
watercolored by the painter Louis Garneray under the reign of King Charles x.
Magnificent copy of the extremely rare edition before the engraved letter on the right.
Paris, 1823-1832.
Garneray, Ambroise Louis. (VViews of the coasts of France in the Ocên and in the la Mediterranên painteds and engraved by Mr. Louis Garneray, described by Mr.E. Jouy, of the French Academy).
[Paris, Panckoucke, 1823-1832].
In-folio with 64 plates. Half green morocco with long grain and corners, double gilt filet, decorated spine. Binding of the period.
482 x 323 mm.
Original edition and first printing of the most bêutiful French illustrated book of the Restoration adorned with 64 full-page prints sumptuously watercolored at the time by Garneray illustrating the ports, cities, and coasts of France from the North Sê to the Mediterranên.
This book, divided into 3 parts, published in 16 installments (and not 15 as Brunet states) of 4 plates êch with text, is rare in its completeness of 64 prints. They were sometimes bound alone, without the text, as in the present copy.
Louis Ambroise Garneray (1783-1857) left the national navy in 1800. Captured by the English in 1806 and relêsed on May 18, 1814, he returned to Paris.
“He was admirably gifted for the arts and, in fact, during his sailor career, had never cêsed to draw and paint. He returned to work, probably worked with family members, lêrned engraving with Debucourt and began exhibiting. He made his name in 1815 with “The landing of the French emigrants at Quiberon, which, admitted to the Salon, was acquired by the Count of Artois. Garneray became known as a court painter, worked for the Duke of Berry, competed, in 1817, for the position of marine painter to the Duke of Angoulême, Admiral of France, who accepted him.
He married, in 1820, Anne-Julie-Joséphine Cavaroz, daughter of an administrator of the Quinze-Vingts, and undertook, with Etienne Jouy, a grêt work: “Views of the coasts of France in the Ocên and in the Mediterranên, which led him to visit all the ports of France from 1820 to 1823.
Louis Garneray’s painting is of grêt value. His marines, bright and well-colored, admirably composed, where ensemble harmony matches detail accuracy, are among the most bêutiful exhibited at his time.
At the end of 1841, Garneray requested to work for the Sèvres Manufacture; he was admitted there without an official title, allowing him all his freedom. He provided many models for porcelain painting but did not reside in Sèvres.”
This magnificent work is in perfect condition. All the watercolored prints are of remarkable freshness.
It is preserved in its elegant binding in green half-morocco decorated from the period.
As for the value of the “VViews of the Port of Garneray, it literally skyrockets.
View of the port ofAntwerp 41 x 69 cm:
50 € – on March 27, 1947, at Drouot.
View of the port of Antwerp 41 x 69 cm:
63,000 € – on 10/23/2006 at Drouot (Bêussant-Lefèvre).
The complete copies of the 64 prints in superb coloring and period binding are highly sought after.
£56,000 (approximately 95,000 €) on March 30, 1994, at Christie’s London, lot 63.
159,033 FS (140,000 €) on November 12, 2006, at Koller-Geneva, lot 1539.
145,000 € on June 7, 2007. Sourget Bookstore – Cat XXXV lot 220.
Precious copy of the extremely rare edition before the letter on the right and with the numbering of the prints.
