Jean-baptiste Tilliard (1740-1813), Quos Ego Motos Praestat Componere Fluctus, Bulino, 1775

Jean-Baptiste Tilliard (Paris, 1740-1813)

Quos ego motos praestat componere fluctus
Engraving and etching on old paper (laid and watermarked "Tamizier Auvergne").
Small margins (probably trimmed), laid down on a stiffer backing along a thin lateral strip (long edge).

Plate after François Boucher (1703-1770) illustrating the collection of geographical maps Neptune oriental (1745-1775) by Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas-Denis d'Après de Mannevillette, born in 1707 in Le Havre-de-Grâce and died in 1780. A French hydrographer, he became a ship's captain in the French East India Company and mapped the coasts of India and China to create this collection.

These illustrations are taken from Virgil's Aeneid, Book 1, verse 1. 135: "Quos ego... sed motos praestat componere fluctus" which can be translated as "I will... but it is better to calm the turbulent waves." Printed on beautiful paper with deep, intense blacks, this 18^th-century print shows some restoration (see photos, including the addition of a paper patch) but remains of excellent quality. Beautiful scrolls typical of the Louis XV-Louis XVI style, Neptune and lively, animated figures, and a sumptuously realistic sea, skies, and clouds. A fleur-de-lis coat of arms and putti add a very classical touch to the whole. This print will delight all lovers of marine art and antique nautical subjects.

Dimensions: 47 x 33 cm