Sir William Hamilton (1730–1803) - Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1751 /1829) - Jean-Claude - Anubis Egyptien, Char de Cérès, Thétis présente a Achille, son fils, un Casque & un Bouclier

Original aquaforte and burin engraving from the 18th century, commissioned by Abbot Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non. They are part of the famous editorial work "Voyage pittoresque ou Description des royaumes de Naples et de Sicile", published in Paris around 1780-1785.

Lot of 3 engravings/plate on a single sheet, printed on laid paper and with watermarks. Excellent inking and good conservation status, contemporaneous bicromatic neoclassical coloration in contrast, traces of patina and browning as shown in the photos. Single sheet with ample original margins. Insured shipping via Bartolini/DPD courier. To benefit from insurance coverage, any damage to the neck (package) must be contested and reported to the courier at the time of delivery. Otherwise, the insurance reimbursement procedure cannot be activated.

Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non (Paris, 1727 – Paris, 1791), universally known as the abbot de Saint-Non, was a central figure of French Enlightenment culture, famed as an engraver, patron, archaeologist, and traveler. He was the archetype of the eighteenth-century art lover and tied his name inseparably to the monumental project of the Voyage pittoresque.

The abbot of Saint-Non, a man of great culture, archaeologist, and refined engraver, undertook his journey to Italy between 1759 and 1761, being struck by the beauties of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily. Returning to France, he decided to personally finance an immense work that could describe those lands. To do so, he assembled an exceptional team of artists, including painters Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Hubert Robert, and drew on the detailed diaries of Dominique Vivant Denon (future first director of the Louvre Museum).

The Voyage pittoresque ou Description des royaumes de Naples et de Sicile by Abbot Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non (published in Paris between 1781 and 1786) is considered one of the most monumental, famous, and precious illustrated books of the entire eighteenth century. It represents the editorial apex of the Grand Tour phenomenon and the supreme expression of the Enlightenment curiosity toward the archaeological, artistic, and natural heritage of Southern Italy.