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AUCTION 52: A NEW YORK AUCTION ART FALL SALE
Lot 123:
This finely decorated first edition copy of ‘L’Europe et l’Amérique Comparées’ or ‘Europe and America Compared’ is an important work by Monsieur Louis Marie César Auguste Drouin de Bercy, a French colonial planter in Saint-Domingue who fought under General Leclerc against the Haitian revolutionaries during the Saint-Domingue Expedition of 1801-1803. He returned to France upon the death of General Leclerc and the subsequent victory of the Haitians and was an ardent supporter of efforts to retake the island.
The first volume of this work is primarily concerned with the climatic and geological conditions of the Americas and how they compare to Europe. The second volume describes the flora and fauna of the Americas, as well as the peoples thereof, with a detailed comparison of their culture with European culture. The author’s conclusion, that the Americas are far superior to Europe, is not surprising given that he still desired to regain his plantation in Saint-Domingue and was therefore trying to convince his readers of the value of the Americas. In fact, one of his previous works laid out a detailed plan to resettle and reindustrialize Saint-Domingue.
Throughout the two volumes are six hand-colored lithographs, three in the first volume and three in the second, which depict scenes of the Americas including a natural rock arch on the coast of Colombia, Niagara Falls in New York and Canada, and the floating gardens of Mexico City, among others.
Vol 1: 432 pp.; Vol 2: 452 pp.; 6 hand-colored lithographs.
Paris, France – 1818.
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Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 1 1/8 in., (21.6 x 13.3 x 2.9 cm.)
Condition: Both volumes in good condition with expected signs of age. Boards well attached with some cosmetic wear at hinges from use.
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