Meteora, Thessaly

Dupré, Louis. Dupré, Louis. The Meteors of Thessaly and Pindus "Les Météores de Thessaly et Le Pinde." Paris "Imprimerie de Dondey-Dupré, Rue St Louis, No 46, Au Marais." 1825-37
Coloured lithograph of Meteora from Louis Dupré's " Voyage â Athènes et â Constantinople...". Original hand colour; verso blank; blind stamp of Dupré as issued.
The image shows the famous hanging monasteries of Meteora , Thessaly; three monks climb in the foreground. Light toning and spotting, heaviest to margins; 3 short tears to upper and lower edges; small worm hole within upper border, not within plate; short crayon? lineto upper pert of sky.

Louis Dupré [1789-1837].

A pupil of Jacques-Louis David in Paris, Louis Dupré became resident in Rome and was appointed official painter to the prince Jerome Bonaparte, in 1811.
In 1819 he traveled to Greece. He was received by the French consul Fauvel in Athens and introduced into Greek society allowing him to make his paintings of important personalities of the time, both in Athens and in Joannina where he portayed Ali Pascha, his family and attendants. He continued to Thessaly and from there he sailed to Constantinople, where he made the acquaintance of Prince Michael Soutzo of Moldavia with whom he returned to Italy via Romania.

His work " Voyage â Athènes et â Constantinople"was published in 10 livraisons, in Paris in 1825 through to 1837, consisting of 40 lithographs: portraits, costumes and views of Athenian antiquities.
[Colnaghi of London pirated 2 of the portraits of Ali Pascha and published them before Dupré.]

The work became synonymous with the Greek War of Independence. The image of Mitropolos, holding the Greek standard symbolises the Greek victory.
Colas 916; Lipperheide 1434; Droulia 901; Navari/ Blackmer: 517; Sotheby's/Blackmer 559. 380 by 428mm (15 by 16¾ inches).   ref: 2656  €1000