Lot 694: Christian Anton Goering (1836-1905) LAKE VALENCIA

Christian Anton Goering (1836-1905) LAKE VALENCIA VENEZUELA signed, dated 1882, inscribed Leipzig and with the title See v. Valencia, Venezuela, pencil and watercolour, 33 x 52cm The artist, explorer and naturalist, Anton Goering was the son of a Saxon wood-carver and taxidermist. His early interest in ornithology was further developed under Hermann Burmeister (1807-1892), Professor of Zoology at Halle. Burmeister, under the auspices of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and Goering travelled to South America in the 1850s. Goering later went to London in order to study under Joseph Wolf (1820-1899), the most accomplished bird painter of the mid 19th c. Here Goering became a protégé of Philip Lutley Sclater (1829-1913), Secretary to the Zoological Society of London and met the important naturalist Osbrt Salvin (1835-1898). Through contact with such important figures in scientific circles, Goering was able again to fund an expedition, this time specifically to explore and record Venezuela. He landed at Carapano in 1866 and spent eight years exploring, drawing and collecting plants and animals. He married and settled in Leipzig in 1874. His rare watercolours are important for depicting the fauna of Venezuela in its natural habitat, when photography was practically non-existent. Literature: Röhl (Eduardo), Exploradoes Famosa de la Naturaleza Venezolana, Caracas 1948 (for a biography of Goering); Association CulturalHumboldt - Venezuela A Century Ago Paintings [ie drawings] by Anton Goering, Caracas 1969.

In fine condition and a rare topographical drawing, undisturbed in its original giltwood and composition frame