19th-Century Aquatint Print Depicting the Bustling Port of Le Havre, France.

Details

Description

HAVRE / BASSIN DU COMMERCE (The Commerce Basin in Le Havre). The Bassin du Commerce is a historic dock in … Read more HAVRE / BASSIN DU COMMERCE (The Commerce Basin in Le Havre). The Bassin du Commerce is a historic dock in the heart of the city, excavated in the late 18th century and highly active throughout the 1800s.
​Artist (Bottom Left): "Peint par Gilbert" indicates the original artwork or scene was painted by a member of the prominent Gilbert family of French maritime artists (likely Jean-Baptiste Gilbert or his contemporary Pierre-Julien Gilbert, both active in the early-to-mid 19th century).
​Engraver (Bottom Right): "Gravé par Thalès Fielding" attributes the engraving to Thales Fielding (1793–1837), an acclaimed English painter and engraver. Fielding spent significant time in France during the 1820s, collaborating with French artists and mastering aquatint engraving.
​The Style and Era
​The print is a classic aquatint, a printmaking technique that produces tonal variations resembling watercolor washes. Given the collaboration between Fielding and Gilbert, this print almost certainly dates to the 1820s or early 1830s. It beautifully captures the transition era of maritime commerce, featuring masted wooden ships, dockworkers handling cargo, and early port machinery on the quayside. Minor foxing on print.
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