Page 19 - Heirloom Collectibles Antiques & Silver

Twenty Four Views Taken In Saint

Helena, The Cape, India, Ceylon,

Abyssinia & Egypt

by Henry Salt (1780-1827)

A plate from the presented lot

This work by accomplished artist, diplomat, and celebrated for their contribution to English Romantic
Egyptologist, Henry Salt, is a landmark publication of travel art and early 19th-century visual documentation
hand-coloured aquatint plates first issued in 1809. The of Britain’s colonial territories.
work showcases the landscapes and cultural richness of
regions Salt visited during his travels as secretary and A pupil of celebrated artists Joseph Farington and John
topographical draughtsman between 1802 and 1806. Hoppner, Henry Salt was skilled in landscape painting
and portraiture. His career was as diverse as it was
These views, meticulously translated into aquatints by illustrious. Born in Lichfield as the youngest of eight
skilled engravers, depict iconic scenes, including the Fort children to Thomas Salt, a physician, and Alice Butt,
at Rayakottai in Tamil Nadu and the Grand Cairo citadel. he developed an early interest in portrait painting. But
Half the plates illustrate India, with compositions imbued after struggling to establish a reputation in portraiture,
with his unique vigour and sensitivity to atmospheric he transitioned towards a career in exploration and Plates from the
effects. The plates form the essence of this masterwork, diplomacy with much success. presented lot