Louis Dupre (1789-1837), Original lithograph hand coloured with watercolour, Titled Grec d'Hidra - Greek Marine from Hydra Island, depicting a young sailor resting on an anchor gazing out to sea. From his travel book Voyage a Athenes et a Constantinople, published in Paris 1825. Facsimile signature, Plate number, titled under with embossed blind stamp with Dupre's monogram. Lithographer: Thierry Freres, Paris. Hydra and other Islands played an important role in the war against the Ottoman Empire by supplying vessels and courageous sailors. Unframed. Plate approx. 15" x 10 1/2"

This lot and the following lithographs by Louis Dupre are from a private collection amassed over a period of time and are a testament to Dupre's ability to portray eminent people in Greece, Turkey, Armenia, and France during his visit in 1819 just before the Greek War of Independence. These lithographs are originals from his famous travel book entitled 'Voyage a Athenes et a Constantinople', published from 1825.
Louis Dupre (1789-1837) was a French painter, lithographer, travel writer, noted for his travels in Albania, Armenia, and other regions in the Ottoman Empire, in particular Greece and for his Orientalist and Philhellene themes. Dupre was a student of the Neoclassical artist Jacques-Louis David, and worked as a painter for Jerome Bonaparte, and the French court, as well as Italian nobility. He travelled to Greece on the eve of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1832), which eventually led to the Kingdom of Greece (1832-1924). He visited Paris, Kassel, Naples, Rome, Constantinople and Vienna, amongst other European cities. In 1819, he took a six month tour of Greece and Turkey with three affluent English gentlemen, Hyett, Vivian and Hay. He was received by the French Consul Fauvel in Athens and was introduced to Greek society, allowing him to paint important personalities of the time, both in Athens and Ioannina where he painted Ali Pasha and his family with attendants. He continued his trip to Thessaly and from there he sailed to Constantinople where he was acquainted with Prince Michael Soutzos (1789-1864) and his family. This journey, which lasted until April 1820, fully met with Dupre's expectations. He also visited Corfu, Epirus, Thessaly, Central Greece, Attica, and the Saronic Islands, as well as Bucharest, invited by Prince Michael Soutzos, great dragoman of the Sublime Porte and Prince of Moldavia. His love of freedom and homeland made him well liked by the Greeks. He gave priority to portraits and costumes, depicting his subjects with precision, devoid of passion and exoticism. In all of Dupre's works there is clarity of subject, and his fluid, flexible lines achieve a harmonious union of drawing and colour. Upon arriving in Constantinople his companions left, frightened by an outbreak of the plague. Dupre, however, remained and completed a series of watercolours. Funded by the Englishmen in exchange for these drawings of which Dupre made duplicates and exhibited them at the Paris Salon in 1824, he published Voyage a Athenes et a Constantinople in 1825 through to 1837, consisting of 40 lithographs. This work became synonymous with the Greek War of Independence. The image of Nikolakis Mitropoulos holding the Greek standard flag symbolises the Greek victory against the Ottomans. His famous travel book takes the form of a costume album, and is based on notes and drawings he made during his voyage in the Ottoman Empire in 18919. Dupre's colourful plates are striking and memorable. His costume images resemble Ottoman produced costume albums that celebrate a notion of Empire. It was written in French and published in France after Greece had begun the War of Independence. He employed the best lithographers of France and the images were all enhanced by hand with watercolours to great acclaim. His travel book is regarded as the finest colour plate book on Greece and Turkey ever produced. From 1827 his Greek themed paintings were exhibited annually in the Paris Salon.

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