Lot Essay
There is a field sketch of the present composition, dated '3.12.26', the first day of Burchell's journey from Santos to Para (which he reached in June 1829), in the MuseumAfrica, Johannesburg (R.F. Kennedy, B2231).
After working in St. Helena (1805-10) and the Cape (1810-15) the botanist, traveller and artist William Burchell returned to England, publishing his Travels in the Interior of South Africa in London, 1822-24, before joining Sir Charles Stuart's mission to Rio de Janeiro in 1825. Stuart (whose mission was to negotiate recognition of Brazilian independence) arrived in Rio on 18 July, 1825 with his small retinue which included the artist Charles Landseer. Burchell stayed in Rio from July 1825 until September 1826 before travelling more widely in Brazil and returning to England in 1830. His work in Brazil was never published but his nine volume classification of Brazilian plants (Catalogus Iconographicus Brasiliensis) is in the Herbarium at Kew and 260 Brazilian drawings including 40 taken at Rio are now in the MuseumAfrica, Johannesburg. For these Brazilian drawings see R.F. Kennedy, Catalogue of Pictures in the Africana Museum, Johannesburg, 1971, VI, Supplement A-G, B2131-B2351 and G. Ferrez, O Brazil do Primeiro Reinado visto pelo botânico William John Burchell 1825/1829, Rio de Janeiro, 1981.
After working in St. Helena (1805-10) and the Cape (1810-15) the botanist, traveller and artist William Burchell returned to England, publishing his Travels in the Interior of South Africa in London, 1822-24, before joining Sir Charles Stuart's mission to Rio de Janeiro in 1825. Stuart (whose mission was to negotiate recognition of Brazilian independence) arrived in Rio on 18 July, 1825 with his small retinue which included the artist Charles Landseer. Burchell stayed in Rio from July 1825 until September 1826 before travelling more widely in Brazil and returning to England in 1830. His work in Brazil was never published but his nine volume classification of Brazilian plants (Catalogus Iconographicus Brasiliensis) is in the Herbarium at Kew and 260 Brazilian drawings including 40 taken at Rio are now in the MuseumAfrica, Johannesburg. For these Brazilian drawings see R.F. Kennedy, Catalogue of Pictures in the Africana Museum, Johannesburg, 1971, VI, Supplement A-G, B2131-B2351 and G. Ferrez, O Brazil do Primeiro Reinado visto pelo botânico William John Burchell 1825/1829, Rio de Janeiro, 1981.