Michel Jean Cazabon (Trinidadian, 1813-1888) Leaving Chacachacare, Bocas Islands, Trinidad signed 'Cazabon' (lower right), bears inscription 'Chaquichaquiare leaving the grand Bocas' (on the mount edge) watercolour heightened with white and scratching out 24.8 x 36.2cm (9 3/4 x 14 1/4in). Footnotes: Chacachacare is a small island off the coast of Trinidad and is a part of a wider group of islands called Bocas Islands, which lie in the Bocas del Dragon (Dragon's Mouth) between Trinidad and Tobago. In the nineteenth century the gulf was home to a large population of whales and was nicknamed 'Golfo de Ballenas' (Gulf of Whales) by Christopher Columbus. By the mid nineteenth century whaling was a thriving industry and Chacachacare became home to an established whaling station. However, by the end of the century the whaling industry was abandoned due to the ever depleting number of whales. By 1922, Chacachacare operated as a leper colony until 1984. Today, the island is largely uninhabited but is well known for its variety of wildlife, haunting ruins and untouched beaches. For a comparable image, see 'Squall off the North Coast of Chacachacare', which is illustrated on page 79 of Geoffrey MacLean's book 'Cazabon: An Illustrated Biography of Trinidad's Nineteenth Century Painter', and sold at Christie's in London on 6 April 2011 (lot 184). See previous lot for a biography on Michel Jean Cazabon. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing