Fine Rare Prints

Carl Joseph Brodtmann
Large antique natural history prints of mammals from 1827
African Elephant
$275 - order #4277

Information

This is an antique print by Carl Brodtmann, the renowned Swiss lithographer. It is over 175 years old and is not a reproduction.

Brodtmann's lithographs are detailed, accurately drawn and beautifully composed. Many other antique prints of animals (by Buffon for example) are exaggerated and do not bear comparison. For this reason, original Brodtmann antique prints are very difficult to find these days.

Many poster shops sell reproductions of Brodtmann prints for little less than we are selling this original and rare antique print.

Date

1827

Source

The Natural History of Mammals

Print method

Stone lithograph on high quality, thick, matt paper with hand coloring.

This print is an early example of a stone lithograph. Stone lithography was accidentally discovered by a young actor who, in order to save spending too much on copper engraving plates, tried to print using a smooth limestone he took from a street in Munich. He had stumbled upon a marvelous printing technique which was soon being used by famous artists such as Goya, and later Manet and Degas.

Lithography has always been surrounded by a certain mystique. Partly this is due to the fact that even today the complexities of the chemical reactions have yet to be fully understood, but mainly it is because the early workshops veiled their methods in secrecy.

Size

13" by 9½" ( 32½cm by 24cm). The border around the print is bigger than shown in the scan above as the print was larger than our scanner bed.

How to order

Please note the order number for this print which is shown at the top of the page. Then click on the Order button at the top or the Order link at the bottom of this page.

Condition

Excellent condition. The paper is clean and bright. This print has recently been beautifully hand colored by a professional wild life artist.