Amedeo Preziosi (Maltese, 1816-1882)

This watercolour comes from a unique and rare collection of watercolours by: Presziosi, Amadeo (1816-1882) & Adalbert de Beaumont (1809-1869) Constantinople and Egypt: 1845. Souvenir De Constantinople et d’ un Voyage fait en Egypte en 1845, par le Duc alors Prince Roger de Bauffremont, Aquarelles de Presiosi et du Vicomte Adalbert de Beaumont {manuscript caption title}, The watercolours are hinged on period card mounts size, 25 ¾” x 18 ¾”and range in sizes from 4 ½” x 5 ½” to 13” x 19 ½”. Several are signed by Preziosi and Beaumont, all captioned at a contemporary date on the mount, others additionally captioned in the image by the artists. The collection of watercolours of Turkey and Egypt accomplished by two notable 19th century Orientalists artist, documenting a journey through the region by a French prince. Some of the watercolours depict views of Bosphorus, Therapia and other sites in and around Constantinople. The remainder depict scenes and costumes of Egypt. Both Beaumont and Preziosi were known as illustrators of travel books in the middle nineteenth century. The present watercolours and drawings were never published and constitute a valuable and exquisitely rendered documentary of the sites visited and local costumes of the period.