Home / Browse / Travel & Exploration / Siebenzehntes Neujahrstuck, herausgegeben von der Künstler-Gesellschaft in Zurich auf das Jahr 1821.
(WEBBER, John) WAGNER, Sigmund.
Siebenzehntes Neujahrstuck, herausgegeben von der Künstler-Gesellschaft in Zurich auf das Jahr 1821.
Enthaltend das Leben des Malers Johann Weber von Bern.
First Edition. John Webber was born in London in about 1750, the son of the Swiss sculpter Abraham Wäber. He studied in Berne and Paris, and entered the R.A. Schools in 1775. In 1776, at the recommendation of Daniel Solander, he was appointed official artist to Captain James Cook's third voyage and on his return his sketches were worked up and provided most of the engraved images in his atlas which accompanies the narrative of the third voyage. Webber's illustrations captured the European imagination more than any other record of the expedition, and shaped European perceptions of the Pacific world for many years to come: "...no voyage undertaken in the days before photography ever returned so well documented with pictorial illustrations." (Bernard Smith, 'European Vision and the South Pacific') "A biographical account of John Webber, having several long footnotes and text references to his voyage with Cook and his visit at the sandwich Islands." (Forbes) The only accurate source for Webber's life, based upon conversations with the artist's brother, and retained letters in his possession. Decidedly uncommon, just 6 copies on OCLC, two in Australia, two in Germany, and one each in Switzerland and the USA.
Small quarto. 13pp. Original printed light card wraps. Housed in half sheep on yellow paper board clamshell box, tan morocco label, spine gilt in compartments. Sepia printed aquatint frontispiece by F. Hegi of Webber's sketch of a Tahitian burial-platform , engraved portrait head-piece of Webber engraved by H. Meyer from a self-portrait. Wraps very slightly soiled, foxing in the margins of the frontispiece, but a very good copy.
