Rembrandt van Rijn; Edme Francois Gersaint: 'Catalogue raiso...

Hammer

£180

Rembrandt van Rijn; Edme Francois Gersaint: 'Catalogue raisonné de toutes les pieces qui forment l'oeuvre de Rembrandt...avec les augmentations nécessaires, par les sieurs Helle & Glomy.', Paris, Chez Hochereau, 1751, 1st edition, engraved portrait frontis of Rembrandt-Van-Rhein by Jean-Baptiste Glomy as called for, second part with separate printed title page 'Supplement au catalogue raisonné de ... Rembrandt.', by Pierre Yver, Amsterdam, Pierre Yver, 1756, first part xxxii,326pp., second part viii,187,[11]pp. + errata leaf, the copy of George Fairholme of Greenknowe (1789-1846), Geologist, land owner, banker, traveller and naturalist, with his armorial bookplate to front pastedown, and copious manuscript pen & ink notes to text and margins throughout, stating sizes and various remarks about the works "Mr B. has an impression of this , great part of which is unfinished, the figures at bottom of angels being only traced out" (No.43 L'Annonciation aux Bergers) "another landscape, on the right are houses, particularly a large one with a turret, surrounded by trees, a river runs through in the foreground on the left...and in the background a view of Amsterdam with windmills...in the middle are two small figures on horseback, one of which seems pointing at the prospect. It has neither name nor date, and is one of those that he washed in Indian Ink - it is extremely scarce, as I never saw another - J.B.", 12mo, contemporary calf gilt, morocco gilt label to spine, together with John Evelyn: 'culptura historico-technica: or, The history and art of engraving...To which is now added, A chronological and historical series of the painters from the eleventh century. Extracted from Baldinucci, Florent Le Compte, Fairthorne, the Abecedario pittorico, and others authors. With copper-plates.', L, J. Marks, 1770, 4th edition, 10 engraved plates as called for, xi,264pp., contemporary calf, morocco gilt label to spine, armorial book plate of George Fairholme of Greenknowe. His father, William Fairholme (mother Elizabeth) made his living from banking and was a serious art collector. Nothing is known of George's childhood years and there is no record of his attending any university. But he was probably tutored at home and self-taught in keeping with his family’s wealthy financial situation. In 1800 an uncle bequeathed to him the Greenknowe estate (5000 plus acres) near Gordon, Berwickshire. Like many in his day he used his wealth to pursue his study of geology both in Britain and in Europe. On 15 November 1818 he married Caroline Forbes, who was the eldest daughter of the eighteenth Lord Forbes and granddaughter of the sixth Duke of Atholl. They lived in Perth; Greenknowe; Berne, Switzerland; Brussels; Ramsgate, Kent; and many other locations in Europe. They had five children, William, James (a naval officer lost on the Franklin Expedition), George, Charles and Elizabeth Marjory. George died in November 1846 in Royal Leamington Spa, willing homes, paintings and nearly 3000 pounds to each child. From the estate of George Fairholme, provenance by descent (2)