Egerton, Daniel Thomas
Views in Mexico, 1840. London. D.T. Egerton.
One of the finest color plate books ever produced, illustrating the country in the turmoil following the struggle for Independence.
One of the rarest and most beautiful views of Mexico from the 19th century, also considered one of the finest color-plate books ever produced, showing gorgeous scenes of the Valley of Mexico, without the slightest evidence of the ongoing political turmoil plaguing the country in the aftermath of the war of Independence. The plates are made after the paintings of a key early British painter of Mexico, Daniel Thomas Egerton, one of the original members of the Royal Society of British Artists. Egerton´s life contemporary to the publication of this set of views was submersed in intrigue and catastrophe, ending in his assassination. He was amongst the first foreign artists to enter Mexico, which borders were essentially closed to non-Spanish artists throughout the Viceregal period.
One of the rarest and most beautiful views of Mexico from the 19th century, also considered one of the finest color-plate books ever produced, showing gorgeous scenes of the Valley of Mexico, without the slightest evidence of the ongoing political turmoil plaguing the country in the aftermath of the war of Independence. The plates are made after the paintings of a key early British painter of Mexico, Daniel Thomas Egerton, one of the original members of the Royal Society of British Artists. Egerton´s life contemporary to the publication of this set of views was submersed in intrigue and catastrophe, ending in his assassination. He was amongst the first foreign artists to enter Mexico, which borders were essentially closed to non-Spanish artists throughout the Viceregal period.
P.O.R.
Further images
12 handcoloured lithographs. Lacking the scarce separate pamphlet with title and list of plates, which Sabin doesn’t mention. Large folio, (605 x 425mm), Mounted on heavy card, as issued. A complete set of the lithographs, without the separate text pamphlet with listing and describing the views. Overall condition is excellent, with some expert restoration.
“[O]ne the most beautiful and rare series of prints relating to America” (Dorothy Sloan).
Egerton (1797-1842) was a British artist, he trained at the academy of the art patron and watercolourist Thomas Monro, where he had access to, as Turner before him, to a vast collection of art, perfecting his skill as draughtsman. With time he then started exhibiting at the Royal Society of British Artists between 1824-1829, travelled to Mexico, arriving in 1831, in the midst of turmoil caused by the recently finished struggle for Mexican Independence from Spanish colonial rule, and the subsequent political atmosphere. He became thus one of the earliest artists to enter the country during this period. He travelled inland extensively for nearly 5 years, and captured different views from cities like Mexico, Zacatecas, Puebla, Veracruz, Guadalajara, etc. in sketches that would later be transformed into large scale oil and watercolours. In 1836 he made his way back to England, where his renderings were exhibited at the Society of British Artitsts between 1838-1840.
The oils and watercolours that were exhibited the Society are the basis for the suite of prints that comprise this work, he executed them himself, and were published in 1840 alongside a short pamphlet with an explanatory text of each image.
Soon after this, he journeyed back to Mexico, establishing himself and his young bride (an adolescent daughter of another British painter) outside of Mexico City. There, in 1842, he and his wife were murdered.
His renderings bring together elements of the contemporary life of Mexico, portraying the native Mexican population, landscapes, civil structures, market scenes, etc.
The plates comprise:
Sn. Augustin de las Cuevas
Aguas calientes
Mexico
Guanaxuato
Guadalaxara
Vera Cruz
Popocatapetl. Izlacchuatl. Puebla
Zacatecas
Plan del Rio-la Conducta
Canon of Sn. Cayetano. Mine of Rayas. Guanaxuato
Real del Monte
Hacienda de Barrera
An exceedingly scarce and valuable work; we can trace only three other sets that have appeared at auction in the last thirty years:
Sotheby´s 1991 (lot 422, £22,000);
Dorothy Sloan (1990, also lacking the pamphlet, 50,000 $);
Christie´s (10 September 2018, Collection de Juan Beistegui, lot 153, 223,500 EUR).
His renderings are hugely valuable, for example, the painting of Veracruz and Castle of San Juan de Ulloa was sold in Bonhams 7 February 2018, lot 122, for £344,750; another painting, a view of the Valley of Mexico sold at Christie´s, 1 June 2007, lot 40, for 384,000 $.
Sabin makes no mention of the pamphlet.
Abbey Travel 670; Sabin 22044; Tooley 205.
“[O]ne the most beautiful and rare series of prints relating to America” (Dorothy Sloan).
Egerton (1797-1842) was a British artist, he trained at the academy of the art patron and watercolourist Thomas Monro, where he had access to, as Turner before him, to a vast collection of art, perfecting his skill as draughtsman. With time he then started exhibiting at the Royal Society of British Artists between 1824-1829, travelled to Mexico, arriving in 1831, in the midst of turmoil caused by the recently finished struggle for Mexican Independence from Spanish colonial rule, and the subsequent political atmosphere. He became thus one of the earliest artists to enter the country during this period. He travelled inland extensively for nearly 5 years, and captured different views from cities like Mexico, Zacatecas, Puebla, Veracruz, Guadalajara, etc. in sketches that would later be transformed into large scale oil and watercolours. In 1836 he made his way back to England, where his renderings were exhibited at the Society of British Artitsts between 1838-1840.
The oils and watercolours that were exhibited the Society are the basis for the suite of prints that comprise this work, he executed them himself, and were published in 1840 alongside a short pamphlet with an explanatory text of each image.
Soon after this, he journeyed back to Mexico, establishing himself and his young bride (an adolescent daughter of another British painter) outside of Mexico City. There, in 1842, he and his wife were murdered.
His renderings bring together elements of the contemporary life of Mexico, portraying the native Mexican population, landscapes, civil structures, market scenes, etc.
The plates comprise:
Sn. Augustin de las Cuevas
Aguas calientes
Mexico
Guanaxuato
Guadalaxara
Vera Cruz
Popocatapetl. Izlacchuatl. Puebla
Zacatecas
Plan del Rio-la Conducta
Canon of Sn. Cayetano. Mine of Rayas. Guanaxuato
Real del Monte
Hacienda de Barrera
An exceedingly scarce and valuable work; we can trace only three other sets that have appeared at auction in the last thirty years:
Sotheby´s 1991 (lot 422, £22,000);
Dorothy Sloan (1990, also lacking the pamphlet, 50,000 $);
Christie´s (10 September 2018, Collection de Juan Beistegui, lot 153, 223,500 EUR).
His renderings are hugely valuable, for example, the painting of Veracruz and Castle of San Juan de Ulloa was sold in Bonhams 7 February 2018, lot 122, for £344,750; another painting, a view of the Valley of Mexico sold at Christie´s, 1 June 2007, lot 40, for 384,000 $.
Sabin makes no mention of the pamphlet.
Abbey Travel 670; Sabin 22044; Tooley 205.
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