Mexican Water Carrier and Potter – Hand-Colored Engraving, Énault, 1867

€ 300

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1867
Sheet size: 17 × 26.3 cm (6.7 × 10.4 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14126-4

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Condition report: Very good condition. Some light age-related toning and faint foxing in the margins, not affecting the printed image. Blank verso. Please review images carefully.

About this sheet

Two Mexican workers from the "Types Mexicains" series, an original hand-colored steel engraving from Louis Énault's L'Amérique centrale et méridionale, published in Paris in 1867. The two figures are lettered "Le Porteur d'Eau" and "Le Potier", engraved by Ferdinand Delannoy and printed by Chardon.

On the left the water carrier bends under a large round red jar strapped to his back, with a smaller jug hanging from a strap in front of him and a wide leather shield across his shoulders. On the right the potter wears a straw hat and carries a frame loaded with clay vessels on his back, holding one more jug in his hand. Both are barefoot, in simple working clothes, standing on a dusty path with agave plants and palms behind and a domed building in the distance.

The series gave European readers a picture of Mexican occupations and dress. The color is applied lightly by hand over the engraved lines.