Friday, February 17, 2012

Series Imaginum

Series Imaginum Augustae Domus Boicae ad Genuina Ectypa... (titlepage) Pub. 1773



Otto II Senior Com. 1155



Mechtildis Adolfi 1323



Mechthildis Wilhelini 1556



Maria Alberti V 1608



Margaretha Adolfi 1394



Margareta jiunior 1359



Ludovicus Romanus 1365



Josephus Ferd. 1699



Johanna Alberti I 1387



Anna Ericil 1474



Maximilianus II 1726



Haracha Herman 1104



Albertus VI 1666



'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.




Kingfisher
Kingfisher

"A single kingfisher is depicted perched on a bare branch"



Connecticut warbler
Connecticut Warbler

"The single bird is depicted perched on a flowering branch of witch hazel"



Chipmunk
Chipmunk

"The chipmunk is perched on an ear of corn. 
The date is written in graphite below the chipmunk’s tail."



watercolour sketch of black cherry branch
Prunus serotina

"A branch of the black cherry tree is depicted with seven leaves in autumn color"



Chipping Sparrow
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
American Goldfinch

"The goldfinch is perched on a stalk of chicory"



Screech owl - red owl
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
Six Bird's Eggs




Witherod
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."



natural history watercolour sketch
Snow Bunting

"Two snow buntings are depicted, one on the ground and another in flight"



bird sketch by Isaac Sprague
Pine Grosbeak

"A male and female grosbeak are depicted on pine bough"



19th c. watercolour sketch of woodpecker
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
Black Throated Green Warbler

"A single male bird is depicted on a branch of red maple with seeds"



bird illustration
Cat Bird

"A single bird is depicted perched on a branch. 
Virginia creeper in fall color is twisted around the branch"



Massachussets ornithology
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]

Friday, February 10, 2012

East Asian Designs

East Asian Designs - bird roundel



East Asian Designs - bird roundel a



East Asian Designs - stylised birds



East Asian Designs - stylised birds a



East Asian Designs - bamboo frame



East Asian Designs - bamboo plant



East Asian Designs - pine tree



East Asian Designs - fans



East Asian Designs - fans a



East Asian Designs - abstract organics



East Asian Designs - flowers



East Asian Designs - flowers a



East Asian Designs - butterflies + flowers



East Asian Designs - horse



East Asian Designs - young woman



East Asian Designs - young woman a



East Asian Designs - leaf roundel




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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