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Voyage picturesque throughout Russia, decorated with
30 engravings collected by Count Carl Rechberg, and engraved by the
best artists, with a historical text compiled by G.P. Depping. Paris,
1832, Grand in Folio, 52x35 cm. In a magnificent composite morocco
binding with a gold embossing on the covers and the back of the book,
from the library of Count Georgy Georgievich
 Meklenburgsky
(1859-1909), son of the Great Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna
(1827-1898). A copy with a double suite: 30 engravings are black and
white and 30 engravings are hand painted at that time: water colour,
gouache, and tempera. All texts on the engravings are in French. The
majority of sheets show L. Klenze or Manz as artists, who actually
were the drawers who prepared someone elseТs originals for engraving.
The authors of drawings were Emelian Mikhailovich Karnejeff (22
drawings), J. Delabarthe (1), Alexeyev (1),Damame-Demartrais (1),
Patersen (1), who were not the worst ones, etc.
It is
known that Emelian Korneyev was attached to the General Sprengporten
who by order of the Emperor Alexander I travelled extensively
throughout Russia between 1802 and 1805. During that time, Korneyev
made a great number of drawings which attracted the attention of the
Bavarian ambassador to the Russian court Count Carl Rechberg, a
passionate collector of water colours and drawings with the Russian
theme. Rechberg offered to Korneyev to published sketchbooks of
engravings made after his drawings. It was exactly what the artist
dreamt about: to show to a wide audience his works Ц views of the
distant corners of Russia and the indigenous people. So, Korneyev went
abroad together with Rechberg. There he worked hard over a two-volume
sketchbook УLes peuples de la RussieФ consisting of 96 engravings.
УAll drawings contained in this work were most wonderfully created by
the honoured master Mr. Korneyev during his three-year stay in MunichФ,
the editor wrote. Munich, the capital of the Bavarian Kingdom, was the
native city of Carl Rechberg. Here also lived his famous brother
Aloysius von Rechberg, a famous diplomat, minister of foreign affairs,
participant of the Vienna Congress and Carlsbad Conference. Here, in
Munich E. Korneyev made drawings relying on his road sketches and then
supervised the manufacture of engraving boards. The sketchbook was
printed in Paris in 1812-13 without authorТs supervision. Two splendid
volumes did not contain an exhausting number of drawings and ideas of
the editor and the artist. However, Europe was torn by the Napoleonic
wars. Korneyev came back home, and Count Rechberg became the Chief
Intendant of the Bavarian Army for many years ahead. It was until the
early 30s that Rechberg returned to publishing his main work. The
appearance of such copy of УVoyage pittoresque Ф is a real happening.
The greatest joy! |
