In the 19th century, Italy fascinated high society and artists throughout Europe. Count Lancelot-Théodore de Turpin de Crissé (1782-1859) was no exception to the rule, but he showed a certain originality by focusing on modern Italy. He made three trips to Italy, from which he published a book entitled...
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In the 19th century, Italy fascinated high society and artists throughout Europe. Count Lancelot-Théodore de Turpin de Crissé (1782-1859) was no exception to the rule, but he showed a certain originality by focusing on modern Italy. He made three trips to Italy, from which he published a book entitled Souvenirs du golfe de Naples, collected in 1808, 1818 and 1824. He decided to include 50 engravings, produced in collaboration with some fifteen engravers, based on his travel drawings.
Augustin-François Lemaître (1797-1870), a well-known engraver of the early 19th century, played the leading role among these engravers, as he was commissioned to produce 9 of the engravings. Here, he depicts the port of Mergellina, a fishing port on the northern coast of the Bay of Naples. The landscape seems dreamlike: lush vegetation, shimmering waters and brilliant light convey the charms of the port and the original design.
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