Félix Teynard

salt print, 1851-52

Estate of a private collector, France

Christie's London, 1 November 2005, Sale 7141, Lot 7, Lee Marks Fine Art as agent

Grading this rare salt print on a scale of 1 to 10 – a 10 being a salt print with deep brown dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail – this print rates a strong 10. Its tones range from delicate purplish-brown to near inky black, and there is no apparent fading. Extraordinary detail is visible, not only in the colossus and carved hieroglyphics but also in the deep shadows. This print is in generally excellent condition. Upon extremely close examination, 2 very small light blue/gray deposits, likely original retouching, are visible in the central portion of the image. There is a soft 2½-inch diagonal crease in the lower left margin corner, and a soft 6-inch vertical crease extending from the lower right corner into the image that is primarily discernible when viewed from the reverse. These do not distract in any way from this impressive rare print. The paper measures approximately 14½ by 10½ inches. There are thick black margins along the upper and lower edges and thin margins along the left and right edges, which are slightly unevenly trimmed. There is a very small loss along the upper margin edge and a pin-hole in the upper left margin corner. Scattered foxing is visible on the reverse of the print.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present photograph shows a portion of the façade of Abu Simbel, one of six grand temples erected during the reign of ‘Ramesses the Great,’ third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt (1279-1213 B. C. E.).  Four colossal statues of Ramesses II, wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, flank the temple’s entrance, each statue towering more than 60 feet high.  The smaller carved figures represent Queen Nefertari and their children.

Traveling throughout Egypt in the years 1851 and 1852, Félix Teynard, a civil engineer with no formal artistic training, used the calotype process to record the impressive monuments, among them the temple of Abu Simbel pictured here.  One hundred and sixty salt prints from his journey were subsequently published in Teynard’s two-volume photographic survey, Egypte et Nubie: Sites et Monuments les plus intéressants pour l’étude de l’art et de l’histoire (1858). 

The present photograph, and that in Lot 128, were originally part of a French private collection that included at least 13 other Teynard prints.  Many of those photographs were similarly untrimmed and unmounted, and, like the present print, were not published in Egypte et Nubie.  The rare image offered here is not recorded in the 1992 catalogue raisonné.