Lapp Fishermen by the Fire and a Group of Lapp Fishermen, Lapland, 1842

This original antique lithograph, colored by hand, comes from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). In the upper image two men in hooded white and lavender garments and yellow boots sit and stoop beside a blazing fire on the shore, one holding a bowl, the other resting his chin in his hand with a pipe in his mouth; fish hang to dry on racks and lines at right, baskets stand on the ground, a boat with green nets lies in the water at left, and a rounded hut and a tree stand behind. The lower image shows four figures in a row: a man in a green tunic and a tall pointed cap with a red cloak over his arm, a woman in lavender with a yellow cap and a striped apron, a woman in a long pink gown with a tall gold headdress, and a man in a pale blue tunic and gold cap. Their belts carry pouches, knives and small tools.

The top margin is lettered "Tom. IV" at left, "LAPPONIA" in the center and "Tav. 90" at right. Both captions read "Pescatori Lapponi" (Lapp fishermen).

Lapland is the northern region of Scandinavia and Finland that is home to the Sami people, called Lapps in older European writing. Fishing and the drying of fish on open racks were part of the coastal and lakeside Sami way of life.

The firelit camp above and the colorful costume row below make a striking pair for a collection of northern subjects.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.