BATTY, Robert (1789-1848)
Hanoverian and Saxon Scenery
London: Robert Jennings, 1829. 4to. (10 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches). Engraved title, 60 engraved plates and one engraved vignette. Unnumbered explanatory text pages, accompanying each plate. Text in English and French.
Full black morocco, finely gilt boards, spine lettered gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt
A beautifully illustrated work capturing the landscapes and landmarks of the historic Kingdom of Hanover and Saxony. A fine example of early 19th-century travel illustration, and an important document of German topography in the pre-unification period.
A beautifully illustrated work which presents a series of finely executed views based on original sketches made on the spot by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Batty. The volume features plates that capture the picturesque landscapes, historic towns, and architectural landmarks of the Hanoverian and Saxon regions, including views of Dresden, Leipzig, Hanover, the Elbe River, and various castles and ruins. Batty, a military officer and talented artist, became well known for his travel albums that combined his refined draughtsmanship with a Romantic sensibility. His topographical works documented European scenery with the precision of a soldier and the aesthetic eye of an artist, making them both artistic and historical in value. Published shortly after Batty's Welsh Scenery and Scenery of the Rhine, this volume forms part of a broader interest in Continental travel and the Romantic appreciation of the sublime and the picturesque. It reflects the British fascination with German culture and landscape in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars and amid growing intellectual and artistic exchange between Britain and the German states. Provenance: Robert Gilmor, Jr. (1774-1848) "was the son of Maryland Revolutionary War leader Robert Gilmor, Sr. and Louisa Airey Gilmor. He became a prominent merchant, ship owner, East-India importer, and was a major art collector in Baltimore." (Maryland Center for History and Culture).
Item #40998
Price: $1,800.00