Art

Calyo, was an Italian painter who emigrated from Italy in 1834, specialising in close observation of people and places. He was an eyewitness to the Great Fire of 1835, and sketched day and night as the city was destroyed. He painted a number of compositions in gouache based on his sketches, and Bennett created his aquatint engravings from his images. Seventeen blocks on the south east tip of Manhattan were destroyed including the ruin on the left, the Old Garden Street Church; this print is the only contemporary representation of this church which was rebuilt in 1807. Aquatint in colours with additional hand colouring in watercolour and hand-scribed border in black ink on heavy wove paper. Image size: 49.5 x 66.5 cm. Sheet size:72.5 x 57.5 cm. Repaired tear to upper and lower margins, just touching the black borders otherwise a bright copy.