Kavel 991
991
SOUTH AFRICA -- HOWEN, O.Chr. v.d. & J. SMIES. Zuidafrikaansche gezichten. Amst., Maaskamp, n.d. (1811). 1 letterpress leaf w. descriptions and 4 (of 4) large aquatint views by L. Portman w. letterpress captions underneath, all cold. by hand, each 350 x 440 mm (image size). Fol.-obl. Loose in mod. hcf. box. -- Added: an original watercolour drawing which is either an original by Von der Howen & Smies after which the print was made, or it is a meticulously executed copy of the print; it has exactly the same size, but differs from the print in some details.
Very rare set of the so-called 'Alberti prints', originally intended as an accompaniment to Lodewijk Alberti's 'De Kaffers aan de Zuidkust van Afrika' (i.e. the first ethnographic monograph which appeared in the Netherlands!). The original drawings were apparently made on the spot by Baron de Howen, worked up by Smies in Amsterdam and then engraved and aquatinted by Portman. Otto, Baron de Howen (1774-1848) was a Russian-born artillery officer (Kurland), while Jacob Smies, known chiefly as a caricaturist, was a professional artist. Von der Howen became adjutant to King Louis Napoleon of Holland and was in Spain between 1811 and 1814. During the Belgian rising of 1830, he defended the city of Mons, but was defeated and became a prisoner. In the Netherlands he was appointed lieutenant-general of the Dutch army and in 1831 city commander of Nijmegen (Netherlands) which he remained until his death.€ 2000
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