Views of Yanbu and Jeddah on the Red Sea, Antique Niebuhr Print, 1776

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1776, plate LIII of the first volume of Carsten Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie, a folding plate with two views. The upper is captioned Gezigt der Stad JAMBO van de Z. W. Zyde. and Vûe de la Ville de JAMBO du Côté du S. O., the town of Jambo (Yanbu) seen from the southwest. The lower is captioned Gezigt der Stad DSJIDDA van de Zyde W. t. Z. and Vûe de la Ville de DSJIDDA du Côté de l'O. q. S., the town of Jeddah seen from west by south.

In the upper view the walled town of Jambo, with its towers, lies low along the shore under a long range of high mountains. A single domed building stands apart at the far left. Several small sailing boats are out on the water, and at the right a large ship seen from the stern flies a striped flag, with a small boat beside it. The lower view shows Jeddah as a long, dense line of tall houses and minarets along the shore, with low hills behind. The foreground is full of shipping: small boats with triangular sails in the middle distance, a larger boat in the center under two lateen sails, with small figures of its crew aboard, and at the right a big ship with a high stern and an awning over its deck. Rocks and shallows break the water at the lower left.

The lower margin is lettered Baurenfeind, del: at the left and C. J. de Huyser, fecit. at the right, naming the draftsman and the engraver. The plate number Tab: LIII. is engraved at the upper right.

The plate belongs to the first volume of Niebuhr's Voyage en Arabie & en d'autres Pays circonvoisins, marked TOME PREMIER and Traduit de l'Allemand on its title page, which carries the imprint of S. J. Baalde at Amsterdam and J. van Schoonhoven and Comp. at Utrecht and the date MDCCLXXVI. The expedition's artist, Georg Wilhelm Baurenfeind, died at sea in 1763. Carsten Niebuhr (1733 to 1815) was a German born surveyor in Danish service and the only member of the Danish expedition to Arabia (1761 to 1767), sent by King Frederick V of Denmark, to return alive.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Handling soiling along the right edge. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Folding plate, original center fold as issued. Slight wear at the bottom right corner.

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