Magnificent Lithographs of Cuban Cities by Eduardo Laplante

"[Lot of 4] La Habana [and] Santiago de Cuba [and] Puerto-Principe [and] Matanzas",

This lot includes four magnificent tinted lithographs of Cuban cities by Eduardo Laplante, after drawings by Leonardo Baranano. Three of the lithographs were printed by Fanjul y Ca.; the Santiago lithograph was printed by Santiago Martin. Each includes a coat of arms below the title and alternate titles in French and English below the engraved image. Laplante (1818 - ca. 1860) was a French artist and lithographer who moved to Cuba in 1848 and established the island's first commercial lithography studio. He is best known for Los Ingenios de Cuba (1857), a series of 28 lithographs of Cuba's sugar plantations that captured the race and class dynamics of the era with uncommon beauty and realism.

A. La Habana - Vista General Tomada Desde la Entrada del Puerto, black & white. This view depicts the harbor of Havana with several ships in the foreground and nice detail of the cityscape in the background. Morro Castle and the fortifications of Old Havana are prominent at left. Condition: There is scattered foxing throughout and dampstaining in the bottom margin. Numerous small wormholes have been closed on verso with paper.

B. Santiago de Cuba - Vista General Tomada Desde Buena-Vista, black & white. This lovely view of Santiago de Cuba shows a bustling port teeming with watercraft. In the foreground are palm trees and other vegetation and various figures of different class backgrounds. The Sierra Maestra Mountains appear in the distance. Condition: There are several small wormholes and tracks in the engraved image, light scattered foxing, and dampstains in the bottom margin.

C. Puerto-Principe - Vista Gral Tomada Desde El Cristo, hand color. Laplante appears in the foreground of this detailed view of Camaguey, sketching before a small audience. The engraving shows the city from the vantage of a hill, with excellent detail of the city's architecture and maze-like layout. Condition: There is light scattered foxing, a couple of tiny wormholes only visible when held to light, an errant red ink spot, and dampstaining that only enters the border at right.

D. Matanzas - Vista Gral Tomada Desde el Monte del Cafetal de D. Vincente Guerrero, black & white. This view of Matanzas also features Laplante in the foreground, surrounded by lush vegetation. There is nice detail of the city and bay against a backdrop of rolling hills. Condition: There is light scattered foxing, dampstaining in the bottom margin, and a couple edge tears in the right blank margin.

References:

Condition: B

See description above.