1862 Basset Chart of European Orders and other Decorations

Orders and Honors in a Changing Europe.

This spectacular c. 1862 André Basset chromolithographic chart illustrates the orders of chivalry, decorations, and medals of France and dozens of foreign states. Hundreds of brilliantly colored crosses, stars, badges, collars, and ribbons transform the complex hierarchy of 19th-century honors into an encyclopedic visual display. Published during the reign of Napoleon III, the chart presents a remarkable portrait of the international world of rank, military distinction, diplomacy, and royal patronage on the eve of the political transformations that would reshape Europe later in the century.

A Closer Look

The chart, titled Tableau Général des Croix des Ordres Français et Étrangers, organizes hundreds of decorations geographically and politically. French honors occupy a prominent position, including the Legion of Honor, while the principal field illustrates orders bestowed by Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Brazil, and numerous other states. Particularly evocative are the decorations of the numerous German kingdoms, duchies, and principalities, alongside those of the Papal States, Tuscany, Sardinia, and other states caught up in the dramatic political reorganization of Europe during the age of German and Italian unification.

The decorations themselves range from relatively restrained crosses and medals to elaborate jeweled stars, crowns, eagles, heraldic devices, and multicolored ribbons. Collars of major chivalric orders appear around the outer margins, emphasizing the ceremonial magnificence associated with the highest grades of European honors. Taken together, the hundreds of insignia form a visual vocabulary of monarchy, military service, religious tradition, national identity, and diplomatic prestige.

The chart also had a practical function. Asterisks identify foreign decorations authorized for wear in France, an important distinction in a society where medals and orders publicly communicated military achievement, official favor, social status, and international recognition. Thus, despite its extraordinary decorative quality, the sheet functioned as a reference guide for identifying the bewildering array of insignia encountered in diplomatic, military, and court circles.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Generally, a chromolithograph begins with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors are layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color can be blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda.

Publication History and Census

André Basset created and published this chart in Paris around 1862; J. Kuppenheim lithographed it, and the Imprimerie Boucher printed it. The title identifies it as a Nouvelle Édition, indicating that Basset's chart had appeared in an earlier form and was subsequently revised to reflect the changing landscape of international orders and decorations. We note a single example cataloged in OCLC, held by the British Library.

Cartographer

André Basset (Bassett; fl. 1768 - 1784) was a well-known French publisher and engraver active on the Rue St. Jacques, Paris, during the 18th and 19th centuries. His office was located at the corner of Rue Saint Jacques and of Mathurins, à l'enseigne de Sainte Geneviève. The firm is closely aligned with the Chéreau family of printers and engravers, with whom they were connected with multiple, often incestuous, marriages and remarriages. Basset was best known for the production of low-cost optical views of European cities and events. However, the firm also produced games, maps, and other prints. The firm was taken over by Paul-André Bassett (1759 - 1829) in 1784. Paul-André Bassett himself retired in 1819, but the business continued under various family members until 1865.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Slight verso repair along original centerfold at bottom margin.

References

OCLC 556620147.