William Alexander
Picturesque Representations... Chinese, Austrians, Russians, Turks, English, 1814, 5 volumes
Found at
Sothebys,
London
The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I, Lot 6
6. May - 18. May 2022
The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I, Lot 6
6. May - 18. May 2022
Estimate: 1.500 - 2.000 GBP
Price realised: 2.520 GBP
Price realised: 2.520 GBP
Description
William Alexander
Picturesque representations of the dress and manners of the Chinese [-Austrians]. London: John Murray, 1814
2 volumes, 50+50 hand-coloured engraved plates
WITH:
Picturesque representations of the dress and manners of the Russians [-English; -Turks]. London: John Murray, 1814, 3 volumes, hand-coloured engraved plates (Russians: 64, English: 50, Turks: 60), on Whatman paper dated 1809
together 5 volumes, 8vo (228 x 153mm.), uniform contemporary brown russia gilt, gilt edges, rebacked
William Alexander was official draughtsman to the British embassy to China of 1792-1794, so he was able to draw his Chinese vignettes from personal experience. His work was first published by William Miller, and when John Murray took over Miller's shop, he decided to expand Alexander's volumes on China and the Austrian Empire to form this set of five works covering the Russian and Turkish Empires and England. The original price for the set was £15-15s.
LITERATURE:
Chinese: Tooley 376; cf. Colas 75 (4to edition); Austrians: Tooley 375; cf. Colas 78 (imprint of Thomas M'lean but with the same plates); Russians: Tooley 378; Colas 2358; English: Tooley 374; cf. Colas 2357 (small folio edition); Turks: Tooley 378
Picturesque representations of the dress and manners of the Chinese [-Austrians]. London: John Murray, 1814
2 volumes, 50+50 hand-coloured engraved plates
WITH:
Picturesque representations of the dress and manners of the Russians [-English; -Turks]. London: John Murray, 1814, 3 volumes, hand-coloured engraved plates (Russians: 64, English: 50, Turks: 60), on Whatman paper dated 1809
together 5 volumes, 8vo (228 x 153mm.), uniform contemporary brown russia gilt, gilt edges, rebacked
William Alexander was official draughtsman to the British embassy to China of 1792-1794, so he was able to draw his Chinese vignettes from personal experience. His work was first published by William Miller, and when John Murray took over Miller's shop, he decided to expand Alexander's volumes on China and the Austrian Empire to form this set of five works covering the Russian and Turkish Empires and England. The original price for the set was £15-15s.
LITERATURE:
Chinese: Tooley 376; cf. Colas 75 (4to edition); Austrians: Tooley 375; cf. Colas 78 (imprint of Thomas M'lean but with the same plates); Russians: Tooley 378; Colas 2358; English: Tooley 374; cf. Colas 2357 (small folio edition); Turks: Tooley 378
Upper estimate price exceeded by 26 %.
The work Picturesque Representations... Chinese, Austrians, Russians, Turks, English, 1814, 5 volumes by William Alexander was sold in the The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I auction at Sothebys in London in May last year. The »bidding war« ended at GBP 2,520.00 (€ 2,964.54), 26% above the upper estimate. Admittedly, works by William Alexander have also been auctioned for a multiple of this price - according to our records, the highest result so far was achieved by the work Walls enclosing a city or town called Pou-een-gin, November 3rd 1793 in November 2019 with an auction result of GBP 16,250.00 (€ 19,081.47).
Oberer Schätzpreis um 26 % übertroffen
Die Arbeit Picturesque Representations... Chinese, Austrians, Russians, Turks, English, 1814, 5 volumes von William Alexander wurde im Mai letzten Jahres in der Auktion The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven Part I bei Sothebys in London versteigert. Das »Bietergefecht« endete beim Preis von GBP 2.520,00 (€ 2.964,54) und damit 26% über dem oberen Schätzpreis. Freilich wurden Arbeiten von William Alexander auch schon für ein Vielfaches dieses Preises versteigert – das bisher höchste Ergebnis erzielte nach unseren Aufzeichnungen die Arbeit Walls enclosing a city or town called Pou-een-gin, November 3rd 1793 im November 2019 mit einem Auktionsergebnis von GBP 16.250,00 (€ 19.081,47).
William Alexander - Auction history
![William Alexander - The Costume of China. London: William Miller, 1805 [watermarked 1794-1802]. 4° (327 x 265mm). 48 hand-coloured aquatint plates after Alexander. (Without half-title or dedication as often, occasional spotting, some offsetting onto text leaves, one plate wi](/images/william-alexander_the-costume-of-china-london-william-miller-1805-watermarked-1794-1802-4deg-327-x-265mm-48-hand-coloured-aquatint-plates-after-alexander-without-half-title-or-dedication-as-often-occasional-spotting-some-offsetting-onto-text-leaves-one-pl_AID596912_320x320.jpg)
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