Pin Prick Watercolour

Sepolgro di Agreppina, Neapolitan Guoache, 1790’s Early guoache view of the sepulchre tomb complex of Agrippina along the coast outside Naples. The mother of Nero and wife of Emperor...

Pair Russian portraits in 18th century garb. Fine French hand coloured engravings of a Russian male and female in traditional late 18th century richly coloured and styled clothing an...

This beautiful piece emerged from the graphic compendium Costumes civils, militaires et religieux, du Mexique civil, work of the renowned Italian artist Claudio Linati (1 February 1790 – 11 December 1832), written in French and printed in Brussels in 1828. This original and signed watercolor is the outcome of Linati’s artistic values and expert lithographic technique. In words of the author “I have chosen the most elegant gears, as well as the most bizarre, like the one on this plate, which may contrast by its severity with the alluring of the more feathery costume of the palencanas. (…) The basket carried by the woman is carefully made of woven cane. For a better characterization of the country, this young native female carries an anona, known among the Spaniards as pineapple due to its similarities with the pinecone”. This plate is the sole image of the style composition prevailing in Costumes civils, militaires et religieux, du Mexique civil consisting in precise details of costume and material culture, as can be recognized in the representation where even though the female figure is placed in the foreground, the focus of the image falls into gear: a blue checkered shawl and skirt.

Very interesting drawing of two soldiers in uniform one most likely French holding a rifle with bayonet and the other, Swiss, dressed in a fancy red outfit with codpiece and odd hat holding a menacing looking mace. Behind them on either side are burning castles...