Books - Illustrations - Science - History - Visual Materia Obscura - Eclectic Bookart.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Paper Lanterns
'Papierlaternen-Fabrik Riethmüller' [maker's catalog] Anonymous, c. 1880 - happy chromolithographs - from the Metropolitan Museum of Art website. {six prints are it}
Previously related? Not really, but still.. Paper Gods + Day of the Dead - Papercuts + Watch-Paper Prints.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Series Imaginum
'Series Imaginum Augustae Domus Boicae, ad Genuina Ectypa Aliaque Monum Fide Digna delin. et Aaeri Incidit, Monachium' 1773 by Joseph Anton Zimmerman, is online at the Bavarian State Library in Munich - 'Miniaturansicht' for thumbnail pages.
The book is (fairly obviously) a genealogical portrait record of Bavarian nobility (or royal lineage) from about the 10th century onwards. Bavarian history being the convoluted assembly of ruling houses that it is, I'm not altogether sure what 'Domus Boicae' in the title, "A series of portraits of the noble house of Boicae', means.**
See Wikipedia articles: House of Wittelsbach and List of Rulers of Bavaria.
[Also see previous related posts: Geomancy Almanac & Duke Dress and Heraldry]
Irrespective of the true background to the series, I thought the book worth featuring for the beautiful engraving work by, or after designs by, the author, Joseph Zimmerman (d. 1797), an artist who received formal training in his chosen vocation in Regensburg and Augsburg [bio].
{all the images above were cropped from the full page layout}
**Later: I've had it confirmed that the 'Boica' in the title refers, in fact, to the German state of 'Bavaria', so it's: 'A Series of Portraits of the Noble House of Bavaria'.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sprague's Natural History
The images below are watercolour sketches by Isaac Sprague from the 1840s.
They have all been background spot-cleaned to varying extents.
They have all been background spot-cleaned to varying extents.
Kingfisher
"A single kingfisher is depicted perched on a bare branch"
Connecticut Warbler
"The single bird is depicted perched on a flowering branch of witch hazel"
Chipmunk
"The chipmunk is perched on an ear of corn.
The date is written in graphite below the chipmunk’s tail."
Prunus serotina
"A branch of the black cherry tree is depicted with seven leaves in autumn color"
Chipping Sparrow
"The sparrow is perched on a flowering branch which also holds a nest
containing four blue-green eggs. The background is a deep brown."
American Goldfinch
"The goldfinch is perched on a stalk of chicory"
Screech Owl - Red Owl
"A single owl is depicted perched on a branch
holding a rodent with the claws of its right foot"
Six Bird's Eggs
Witherod
"Two details of witherod (Viburnum cassinoides), a
shrub also known as wild raisin. One detail of the
leaves and flower, another of the leaves and fruit."
Snow Bunting
"Two snow buntings are depicted, one on the ground and another in flight"
Pine Grosbeak
"A male and female grosbeak are depicted on pine bough"
Golden Winged Woodpecker
"A single bird is shown perched on a bare branch.
'Golden winged woodpecker' and the date are inscribed
in graphite at the bottom of the sheet below the image.
The bird depicted is now known as the yellow-shafted flicker"
Black Throated Green Warbler
"A single male bird is depicted on a branch of red maple with seeds"
Cat Bird
"A single bird is depicted perched on a branch.
Virginia creeper in fall color is twisted around the branch"
Cedar Waxwing
"The cedar waxwing is depicted perched on a branch
of chokecherry. There are no notations on the sheet"
"Isaac Sprague (1811–1895) was born in Hingham, Massachusetts, and apprenticed with his uncle as a carriage painter. He was a self-taught landscape, botanical and ornithological painter. Sprague served as one of the assistants to John James Audubon on an ornithological expedition up the Missouri River (1843), taking measurements and making sketches. His diary of this expedition is in the Boston Athenæum." [source]
"The Athenæum is fortunate to have seventy-four of Sprague’s watercolor paintings of birds, drawn between 1839 and 1842." [source]
- The 'Art of Isaac Sprague' collection is online at the Boston Athenæum website. [browse all images] [alternative collection landing page]
- The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation has a page of biography/resources in relation to Isaac Sprague.
- The Hunt Institute (Carnegie Mellon University) also has a collection of thumbnail images of Sprague's meticulous botanical line sketches in pencil, lithographic and engraved formats.
Friday, February 10, 2012
East Asian Designs
I'm afraid I don't recall where these stylised organic line drawings came from. They were scanned a couple of years ago from a library book but I didn't keep the details. Such is life.
Previous line drawing designs: Ancient Designs - Mexico + Peru ::: Native North American Designs.
At delicious bookmarks: Japan.
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