Monumental View of New York

Descripción

Aquatint engraving 33 x 52 ½ inches visible, 39 x 59 inches, framed. Title printed on lower margin, flanking an exquisitely detailed coat of arms. Annotations on left and right bottom corners identify Hill as painter and Himley as engraver. First state of three. Cursive annotation on bottom identify this work as a proof (minor stain in upper margin, extending into top left of composition) This sublime and monumental view of New York City is drawn from a watercolor by the celebrated British-American landscapist John William Hill, and engraved by Himley. It opens onto a breathtaking sight of Manhattan from the East River at approximate the location of Brooklyn Heights and the Navy Yard. It is one of the largest engraved views of the city ever produced. In the foreground, human figures can be seen aboard various maritime vessels. A meticulously rendered cityscape of buildings and churches is visible on the other side of the river, and stretches splendidly across the horizon, with church spires piercing the sky. The delicate ripples of the river and silvery cloud formations in the sky contribute to the overall dazzling effect of the work. The land of New York was discovered in 1524, and colonized by the Dutch in 1624, when it was named New Amsterdam and became a trading port of the Dutch West India Company. In 1664 this Dutch colony was surrendered to British forces and was renamed New York after James Duke of York (1633-1701), who had been granted the land by his brother King Charles II. Within fifteen years of this present view, New York would become one of the most important cities in the new nation. Today it is a vibrant and diverse beacon of culture, finance, and education for the world. Catalogued by Xueli Wang, Columbia University, BA; Courtauld Institute of Art, MA. You are warmly invited to visit our gallery at 1016 Madison Avenue in NYC to view this work whenever it might be convenient. N° de ref. del artículo 1016XW32

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