1859 Berthet View of Montevideo

Bustling Montevideo.

This brilliant, evocative, and rare lithograph view of Montevideo, Uruguay, was printed in 1859 by Laurens Tirpenne, from a painting by French artist Henri Berthet. The view emphasizes the ferocity of the Rio de la Plata, the activity and importance of the port, and the increasing modernity of Montevideo itself.

A Closer Look

This panorama of the Old City of Montevideo is taken from the north, across Montevideo Bay as seen from shipboard or shoreline. As stressed in the view's title, the city is represented as seen from the port. The foreground is dominated by the turbulent waters of the middle bay. The waves buffet a pair of sailboats and a side-wheel steamer, while a heavily-laden rowboat struggles along. In the middle ground, a few anchored ships enjoy stability nearer the shore. In the background under a radiant blue sky, the old city's skyline fills the horizon. The Cathedral overlooks all; the city's newly renovated waterfront buildings are clearly visible.

Publication History and Census

This map was executed in 1859 by Laurens Tirpenne from a painting made from life by Henri Berthet. The lithograph was published in Paris and New York by Louis Auguste Turgis as part of a series of loose-leaf prints, Ports de Mer d'Amérique, produced between 1851 and 1878. No surviving complete set of these views is documented. One example of this separate view is cataloged by the New York Public Library; we see no examples in OCLC.

Cartographers

Henri Berthet (fl. 1856 - 1859) was a French artist, resettled in the De la Plata region of South America in the mid nineteenth century. Nothing is known of his life; he is known through the survival of two views he produced of Montevideo (1852 and 1859 respectively), and one other of Buenos Aires. These are extremely rare.   Further Details...

Jean Louis Tirpenne (August 26, 1801 - January 17, 1867) was a French-German painter, lithographer, and dramatist active in Paris in the mid-19th century. Tirpenne was born in Hamburg, Germany. He studied painting under Boutron. Tirpenne contributed to the lithographic work associated with the Auguste-Nicolas Vaillant (1793 - 1858) circumnavigation, particularly with regard to the work's views of Singapore. He died in Paris in 1867.   Further Details...

Louis Auguste Turgis (May 2, 1818 - March 31, 1894) was a French printmaker and seller. Born in Gouville-sur-Mer, Turgis took over the family printselling business after his elder brother Élimir Auguste Turgis (November 20, 1838 - October 7, 1856) died. Before Louis took over the business, his mother and elder brother had successfully expanded outside Paris to Toulouse, several cities in Spain, and, in 1854, New York City. Under Louis's guidance, the business continued to grow. They maintained their offices in New York and Paris and by 1893 their catalog's introduction was published in French, English, Spanish, and Italian. In 1891, Turgis was joined by his sons and the firm was renamed L. Turgis et fils.   Further Details...

Condition

Excellent with generous margins.

References

No examples in OCLC. Deák, G. G., Picturing America, 1497-1899, 750.