BENARD DIREXIT (FRANCE) 18TH CENTURY COLLECTION OF SEVEN (7) UNFRAMED ANTIQUE MARITIME BOAT
DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION ETCHINGS,
FROM 18TH C. FRENCH ENCYCLOPEDIA
(Circa 1770-1790)
18th century original French etchings
DIMENSIONS:
Larger prints (5 pieces) all signed Benard Direxit:
11¾" Height x 9¼" Width
Smallerprints (2 pieces) :
7 ½" Width x 9" Height
DESCRIPTION:
Offered for your careful review and consideration is this wonderful set of seven (7) authentic, original etchings by 18th century French artist and illustrator Benard Direxit. This is from the series of plates from a period French encyclopedia, which were medium-sized folio illustrations called Marine, where Direxit would create the most intricate and detailed etchings of 18th century timber constructed wooden sailing vessels, demonstrating everything from hull construction to rudder details and interior compartment configurations. These werent just pedestrian, casual Sunday etchings but rather detailed conceptual guides that were referred to in the maritime trades and the construction of a wide variety of sailing vessels of the period. Often Direxit would use cross-sectioned views and cut-aways to visually demonstrate and to adequately illustrate the smallest of construction details incorporated in a vessels construction. For this reason, these drawings (rendered as etched prints) would not have been merely for decorative purposes but used as active references. Some of the etchings show different ship vessels at full sail, showing the ships at sea, fully masted, built and now seaworthy. Other etchings read much more like architectural nautical blueprints, schematically detailing the mortise and tenon wood timber joinery and construction specifications used to construct respective vessels. Most of the plates are medium-sized in format and have clean edges and corners. The etchings could be considered diagrams and trade drawings. They have an encyclopedic demonstration of particular knowledge and appear to be extremely familiar with the ship building industry of the period and with the methods, materials and the surrounding available technology involved with ship building. They are wonderfully well preserved and only need to be matted and framed using archival materials. Benard Direxit. French. 18th century. Gorgeous.
CONDITION:
Very Good to Excellent overall vintage condition. A few of the etchings had been carefully pulled from the spines of the bindings they were previously kept in. They were not cut back with a knife, compromising the real width and original pedigree of the etching prints original size. For that reason, a few of the prints have a noticeable slightly ragged edge, on the same side they would have rested tightly bound to the spine inside the binding of the volume they once rested in. If the edges are straight and sharp, then these prints were cut-away from the spines. The paper is by and large in extraordinarily well-preserved overall vintage condition. They dont suffer from any foxing, tears, creases, water damage, mildew, tanning or other condition issues. They have withstood the test of time and as far as 18th century prints are concerned, these would have to be considered to be in simply wonderful, gorgeous condition. They remain out of frame and exactly the way they were found. Estate fresh. They only need to be framed using archival, acid-free materials and placed under glass and a framing system of the buyers choice. Incredible detail and in amazing condition. Gorgeous.
