Louis De Clercq

a plate from Voyage en Orient, Vol. I: Villes, Monuments et Vues Pittoresques de Syrie (Paris, 1860), albumen print from a paper negative, numbered '24' by the photographer in the negative, on the original oblong folio mount, the title and photographer's decorative monogram in letterpress on the mount, matted, framed, 1859

Thackrey & Robertson, San Francisco

Acquired by Jill Quasha, New York, from the above, 1988

Acquired by the Quillan Company from the above, 1989

Jill Quasha, The Quillan Collection of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Photographs (New York, 1991), pl. 41 (this print)

Another print of this image:

Louis De Clercq (Stuttgart: Mayer & Mayer Gallery, 1989, in conjunction with the exhibition), unpaginated, and p. 89, pl. 24

Grading this albumen print on a scale of 1 to 10 – a 10 being a print that has rich, deep dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail – this print rates a 10. The print has very rich reddish-brown tones and is in excellent condition. There is minor soiling on the mount, and age-darkening on the extremities.
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 print offered here was originally published in Voyage en Orient, de Clercq's extensive six-album photographic survey of the architecture and landscapes of the Middle East.  It was included in the first volume of the set, Villes, Monuments et Vues pittoresques de Syrie, published in Paris in 1860.  The photograph had been made the year before, when de Clercq accompanied Emmanuel-Guillaume Rey, the historian of architecture of the Crusades, on an expedition to Syria and Asia Minor.  Djebaïl, now a part of Lebanon, was one of the oldest cities in the world, and home to layer upon layer of architecture from a succession of civilizations. 

The present photograph shows the massive stone foundation of a structure from ancient Phoenicia.  De Clercq has monumentalized the edifice by photographing it at close range, filling nearly the entire frame. This very modern approach to composition and vantage point is characteristic of de Clercq's best work.  

Of the fifty copies of Voyage en Orient originally published, only six complete sets have been located in institutional collections.