Tuscany Landscapes and Archaeology

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he magnificent monumental album of lithographs created by André Durand in about 1862 is one of the most refined works among those that represent Tuscany seen as typically romantic and picturesque. In the wake of the Grand Tour, from the beginning of the last century, it was only cities like Florence, Siena, Pisa, Arezzo and Pistoia that attracted the attention of art lovers, archaeologists and landscape painters all over the world.

Also the less known aspects of Tuscany, such as the Isle of Elba, the Etruscan remains that were being brought to light in those years, the abbeys and the medieval castles, had by then become features of great attraction. Nobody could have been more suited to portray them than André Durand, a highly regarded sketcher and lithographer, also versed in archaeology. Spurred on by the enthusiasm of the Russian price Anatole Demidoff, Durand first produced an album with 18 lithographs of picturesque views of the Isle of Elba (in collaboration with Eugène Ciceri). They are evocative works showing a wild and partly unexplored island. Among them are the outstanding views of Portoferraio, Rio Marina, Marciana and also the Imperial Villa of San Martino with the Napoleonic Museum founded by Prince Demidoff.

Later the work was enriched with another 100 plates of the most important Tuscan cities, also including bewitching artistic country landscapes. The album was endowed with a text in appendix describing each place illustrated. Indeed a monumental work that today is even more to be appreciated for its excellent artistic quality as well as for its documentary interest and unquestionable historic value.

The 188 lithographs are printed on heavy weight paper and collected in a volume in half leather binding (size 453 x 635 mm).

Note: This volume is now sold out.

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