Title

Swan River, 50 miles up

Date made

1827 – c.1829

Category

Print

Print type

intaglio

Technique

aquatint, printed in colour, from one copper plates; hand-coloured

Text printed from matrix

Printed lower centre below image in black ink, 'SWAN RIVER, 50 Miles up. / The view represents the Bivouac of Capt. [t in superscript] Stirling in their exploreing [sic] Party March 1827, from an original drawing'. in possession of F.R. Clause, Esqr., surgeon R.N., to whom this engraving is dedicated by his obedient servant J.W. Huggins." Printed below image in black ink, 'London Published JW HUGGINS 105 Leadenhall Street'. Printed lower left below image in black ink, 'Painted by J.W. HUGGINS. Marine Painter to his MAJESTY.' Printed lower right below image in black ink, 'Engraved by E. DUNCAN'.

Edition information

print run unknown

Production notes

The date of this print is usually recorded as 1827. This is the year the original drawing was made. The imprint notes that the drawing was in the possession of F.R. Clause, Esqr., who had travelled to Swan River with Stirling. Clause returned to England in August 1828 where he had the drawing interpreted by W.J. Huggins and engraved by Edward Duncan. This engraving was probably produced as a private commision for Clause around the date of the proclimation of the establishment of the Western Australian settlement in June 1829, as a memento of his involvment. The work does not have the standard imprint ' Published as the act directs', nor 'entered at Stationers Hall' but simply states that it was published by Huggins. The text 'from an original drawing in possession of F.R. Clause, Esqr., surgeon R.N., to whom this engraving is dedicated by his obedient servant J.W. Huggins', also suggests a private commission. The NGA impression has the engraved text, 'Painted by J.W. HUGGINS. Marine Painter to his MAJESTY', Huggins did not receive this honour untill 1834, and the dark printing of this part of the text indicates that it was a later addition.

Subject categories

Australia, Art period: Colonial, Western Australia | Collection: The Wordsworth collection of Western Australian colonial art, acquired 2010.

Legacy id

206781

Last Updated

09 Jan 2013