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A Selection of Interesting Prints:
John Vanderlyn. "The Landing of Columbus. From the original painting in the rotunda of the Capitol. Washington D.C." London, Edinburgh, & New York: Joseph Laing, ca. 1850. Engraving by John C. McRae. 20 x 30. Excellent condition.
The Capitol dome was designed by Charles Bulfinch and built between 1818 and 1824. It was designed to have eight niches reserved for large patriotic paintings. One of these was an image of the landing of Columbus, commissioned from John Vanderlyn in 1839. Completed in 1847, this impressive scene hangs proudly in the Capitol, and its fame resulted in the publication of this engraving based on the painting. Christopher Columbus is shown landing on San Salvador on October 12, 1492. He and the captains of the Niña and Pinta claim the lands for his Spanish patrons. The quality of the print, an excellent engraving by John McRae, speaks of the high regard in which Vanderlyn's work was held. $1,200
Tompkins Harrison Matteson. "Union." New York: Augustus W. Saxton, 1852. First state. Engraving by Henry S. Sadd. 19 5/8 x 26 1/2. Full margins. Excellent condition. Holzer, Boritt, & Neely, The Lincoln Image, p. 68.
A strong engraving issued to commemorate the Compromise of 1850. This political consensus was seen as the resolution of the tempest over the issue of free and slave states that had been tearing the Union apart. The individuals involved in the compromise are shown seated in a formal setting. The two major protagonists, Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun, and "The Great Compromiser," Henry Clay are most prominent, shown around a bust of Washington, the former two with their hands on a copy of the United States Constitution. Arrayed around them are other important participants, including Lewis Cass, Winfield Scott, Sam Houston and Millard Fillmore. Liberty blesses the group from above, while in the background the curtains part to reveal the Utopia that the strengthened Union was seen as now proceeding towards. In the lower right corner Fillmore is shown holding an American shield above the 'thrown down' royal crown and scepter, a symbol of America's struggles of the past. A wonderful document of this important agreement in American history. Alas, despite its hopeful prognosis, this compromise was ultimately a failure, and it was soon to be followed by much bloodshed. $1,500
Go to section on American political events
Charles Lucy. "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, in America A.D. 1620." No place; no date but circa. 1850s. 21 1/4 x 29 3/4. Steel engraving, with mezzontinting, by John C. McRae. Good margins. Single tear ¼" into image at left side and a few short tears to margins; else very good.
A very handsome and strong print showing the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock. Their clothing is simple but rich due to the intensity of the engraving process. This study of the variety of personalities among the American pioneers also features the ship Mayflower in the background. $650
"Terrible Conflagration and Destruction of the Steam-Boat 'New-Jersey,' on the River Delaware, opposite Philadelphia, on the Night of Saturday, March 15th, 1856, between 8 and 9 o'clock, by which Dreadful Calamity Sixty-One lives were lost." Philadelphia: A. Pharazin, 1856. 7 5/8 x 12 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.
In the nineteenth century, "rush" lithographs were one of the few ways that the general public had access to visual information of events which interested them such as elections, battles and disasters. These prints were rushed out shortly after the events by publishers hoping to sell them as sensational broadsides. The images were often drawn after "on the spot" sketches, though sometimes they were made up out of whole cloth. The year 1856 was a bad one for disasters around Philadelphia, including a spectacular fire on the ferry between Philadelphia and Camden. On March 15, 1856, the ferry caught fire, and because of the ice in the river and a loss of steering, the ferry was never able to reach the shore. Sixty one lost their lives; the names of the "dead," "missing," and "saved" are listed below the image. $650
This exquisite and powerful engraving celebrates the triumphal procession of Frederick Barbarossa the First Holy Roman Emperor. The source of the idealized fete is unknown among the many paintings, murals, tapestries and other art works that Charles LeBrun (1619-1690) created for the monarchies of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, working in his early years for Cardinal Richelieu and later under the patronage of Colbert. Multi sheet prints such as this were often done in Amsterdam, as with this by Jan Van Vienen (ca. 1660- ca. 1726), because the Dutch had a propensity for large plates, and some French taxes were avoided. Franciscus [also Francois] Halma (1653-1722) was a prolific publisher of books as well as prints and maps in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Leeuwarden. The scene of an 1155 A.D. event is set into the architectural and costumed milieu of the great and triumphal age of the Roman Empire. Monumental architecture, exquisite depictions of human figures along with the violent theme, and a most delicately detailed escutcheon at bottom center all attest to art interpreting the beginnings of modern European history for the Age of Enlightenment. $1,500
Below is a small sampling of the prints in our inventory. All are about 5 x 8 and in very good condition, except as noted. If you have an event of particular interest, please contact us to see if we might have a print of that subject.
For more information call, write, fax or e-mail to:
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©The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd. Last updated June 7, 2008
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