23 Napoleon Engravings & Aquatints, Most Hand-Colored, From W.H. Ireland's "Life of Napoleon Bonaparte"

A collection of 23 engravings and aquatints, most hand-colored, originally featured in Samuel W.H. Ireland's lavishly illustrated "The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte," published in London, England by John Fairburn or John Cumberland, ca. 1823-1828. The 4-volume biography of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), the celebrated Corsican military general and future French Emperor, featured 27 plates by well-known printmaker George Cruikshank (1792-1878) after works by Charles Beyer, François Gérard, Jean-Baptiste Isabey, Pierre Paul Prud'hon, Adolphe Roehn, Bernard Édouard Swebach, Carl Vernet, and others. The majority of the plates depict memorable episodes from Napoleon's storied military career. From a recently discovered collection that has not seen the light of day for over 70 years!

The suite of 23 prints is contained within a manila envelope hand-inscribed by a former collector. Each print is laid down on blue-flocked stock paper, and numbered verso. There are scattered vertical or horizontal creases, as well as isolated foxing. Some prints are trimmed. Please refer to the catalog photos for additional information relating to condition. This collection is missing just 4 of 27 prints, among these: [1] "Napoleon on his celebrated White Charger"; [10] "Napoleon defeating the Turkish Pacha [sic], at the Battle of Aboukir"; [11] "The Attack and Capture of Naples, by the French, after a most obstinate Resistance"; and [13] "Napoleon's decisive Victory Over the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo." Else near fine and in vibrant color. Especially riveting are the prints depicting military engagements in Egypt and Moscow. The average size of the prints is 11.5" x 8.25." The smallest print depicting Napoleon in his coronation robes measures 9.25" x 8.375."

The engravings and aquatints were numbered by a former collector from P-231 to P-253; this order has been adapted in the itemized list below as 1-23. The order in which the "embellishments" originally appeared in Ireland's "Life of Napoleon Bonaparte" is the second figure, in brackets.

1. [16] George Cruikshank after François Gérard, "Napoleon Receiving from General Rapp the Austrian Standard, Surrendered at Austerlitz" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1824.)

2. [22] George Cruikshank after Charles Beyer, "Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1826.)

3. [7] George Cruikshank after Bernard Édouard Swebach, "Napoleon Defeating the Mamelukes, at the Battle of the Pyramids, Near Cairo" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1823.)

4. [15] George Cruikshank after Adolphe Roehn, "Napoleon's Bivouac on the Night Preceding The Memorable Battle of Austerlitz" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1824.)

5. [25] "Portraits of Napoleon's Marshals, and Generals. Plate I" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1827.)

6. [18] George Cruikshank after Bernard Édouard Swebach, "Napoleon's Entrance into the City of Berlin."

7. [9] George Cruikshank after Jean-Baptiste Isabey, "Napoleon, When First Consul, & Madame Josephine, (His First Wife) in the Garden at Malmaison" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1824.)

8. [24] Charles Taylor and George Cruikshank after Pierre Paul Prud'hon, "Maria Louisa, Arch-Duchess of Austria, Empress of France" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Cumberland, 1827.)

9. [27] George Cruikshank after Jean Duplessi-Bertaux, "Napoleon Terminating his Military Career, at the Memorable Battle of Waterloo" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1825.)

10. [12] George Cruikshank after Carle Vernet, "Napoleon and his Army, Effecting the Wonderful Passage of the Alps, at Mount St. Bernard" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1823.)

11. [19] George Cruikshank after Bernard Édouard Swebach, "Napoleon Defeating the Prussian Army, at the Battle of Eylau."

12. [20] George Cruikshank after Bernard Édouard Swebach, "Napoleon, & the Emperor Alexander, Upon the Raft, on the Niemen, After the Treaty of Tilsit" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1825.)

13. [3] George Cruikshank after Carle Vernet, "Napoleon & Massena Defeating the Austrian Army, at the Terrible Battle of Roveredo" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1823.)

14. [8] George Cruikshank after Bernard Édouard Swebach, "Napoleon, & Kleber, Defeating the Mamelukes, at the Battle of Mount Thabor" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1824.)

15. [23] Charles Taylor, George Cruikshank, and Richard Gilson Reeve after George Cruikshank, "Napoleon Francis Charles Joseph, Duke of Reichstadt, Formerly King of Rome" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Cumberland, 1828.)

16. [14] George Cruikshank after Bernard Édouard Swebach, "Napoleon Receiving the Sword of General Mack, on the Capitulation of Ulm" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1824.)

17. [21] George Cruikshank, "Napoleon Witnessing the Conflagration of Moscow, from the Palace of the Kremlin" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1826.)

18. [4] George Cruikshank after Carle Vernet, "Napoleon & Augereau, in the Heat of the Tremendous Battle of St. George" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1823.)

19. [5] George Cruikshank after Carle Vernet, "Napoleon Forcing the Passage of the Bridge of Arcola" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1823.)

20. [2] George Cruikshank after Carle Vernet, "Napoleon at the Sanguinary Battle on the Bridge of Lodi" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1823.)

21. [17] George Cruikshank after François Gérard, "Napoleon the Great, in his Coronation Robes" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Fairburn, 1826), 9.25" x 8.375."

22. [26] "Napoleon's Arrival at the Tuilleries on his Return from Elba" (Ludgate Hill, London, England: John Cumberland, 1827.)

23. [6] George Cruikshank after Carle Vernet, "Napoleon at the Passage and Battle of the River Tagliamento" (Ludgate Hill, London, England, 1823.)

Please see our terms and conditions for large lots.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!