Large Original Pair of Early 19th Century Hand Colored Etchings by James Basire II (1769-1822) of the Bayeux Tapestry, 1822 | Han Colored etchings, plate 11 and plate 13, published by the Society of Antiquaries, London, July 1st, 1822 | Framed under archival UV protected glass | Approx. Dimensions: image 19" H x 29" W; framed 26.5" H x 36.25" W. Provenance: From a prominent Massachusetts estate | These large hand-coloured plates were engraved by James Basire II after drawings made in situ by Charles Stothard, representing sections of the famed Bayeux Tapestry In 1816 | The Society of Antiquaries of London commissioned its historical draughtsman, Charles Stothard to make an accurate coloured facsimile of the tapestry. His drawings were subsequently engraved by James Basire Junior and published by the Society in 1819–23 as a series of large format aquatints. These provide a valuable record of the tapestry as it was before the 19th-century restoration.Artist or Maker: James Basire II (1769-1822)Date: July 1, 1822Exhibited: Most recent auction results: 1) Woolley & Wallis, 11 Sep 2018 Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom - for James II BASIRE (1769-1822), Etching of The Tapestry of Bayeaux, After Charles Alfred Stothard - Etching (hand coloured) 21 1/4 x 29 3/4 in Hammer price: $ 1,430 (£ 1,100) Woolley & Wallis, 11 Sep 2018 Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom Old masters, British and European paintings Lot number 20 Illustrated on page 7 of the catalog. 2) Christie's, London, United Kingdom - James II BASIRE (1769-1822) Etchings The tapestry of Baeux, after C.A. Stothard, 1821 Etching (hand colored), 18 1/2 x 11 in, Price: $ 1,087 (£ 688) - Christie's, 29 Sep 2010 London, United Kingdom - LEHMAN BROTHERS - ARTWORK AND EPHEMERA, Lot number 1107, Illustrated on page 52 of the catalog - Provenance: Lehmann BrothersLiterature: "The tapestry of Bayeux" by Stothard, C. A., Publication date 1823, The plates (dated 1819-23) are drawings by C. A. Stothard, engraved by James Basire. Published between 1821 and 1823 in the society's Vetusta monumenta, volume 6, plates 1-17. cf. Dict. nat. biog., volume 54, page 433.Notes: The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth nearly 70 metres (230 ft) long and 50 centimetres (20 in) tall, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. It is thought to date to the 11th century, within a few years after the battle. It tells the story from the point of view of the conquering Normans, but is now agreed to have been made in England. According to Sylvette Lemagnen, conservator of the tapestry, in her 2005 book La Tapisserie de Bayeux: The Bayeux tapestry is one of the supreme achievements of the Norman Romanesque .... Its survival almost intact over nine centuries is little short of miraculous ... Its exceptional length, the harmony and freshness of its colours, its exquisite workmanship, and the genius of its guiding spirit combine to make it endlessly fascinating.[4] The cloth consists of some fifty scenes with Latin tituli, embroidered on linen with coloured woollen yarns. It is likely that it was commissioned by Bishop Odo, William's half-brother, and made in England—not Bayeux—in the 1070s. In 1729 the hanging was rediscovered by scholars at a time when it was being displayed annually in Bayeux Cathedral. The tapestry is now exhibited at the Muse de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy, France (49.2744°N 0.7003°W). The designs on the Bayeux Tapestry are embroidered rather than woven, so that it is not technically a tapestry. Nevertheless, it has always been referred to as a tapestry until recent years when the name "Bayeux Embroidery" has gained ground among certain art historians. It can be seen as a rare example of secular Romanesque art. Tapestries adorned both churches and wealthy houses in Medieval Western Europe, though at 0.5 by 68.38 metres (1.6 by 224.3 ft, and apparently incomplete) the Bayeux Tapestry is exceptionally large. Only the figures and decoration are embroidered, on a background left plain, which shows the subject very clearly and was necessary to cover large areas. On 18 January 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the Bayeux Tapestry would be loaned to Britain for public display. It is expected to be exhibited at the British Museum in London from 2022. It will be the first time that it has left France in 950 years. [Wikipedia]Artist or Maker: James Basire II (1769-1822)Date: July 1, 1822

26.5 x 36.25 in