Village de Bel-Air sur la Côte d’Afrique, circa 1835 Unframed. This (circa) 1835 lithograph, titled Village de Bel-Air sur la Côte d’Afrique, provides a detailed visual record of a coastal settlement in present-day Guinea as observed during the early 19th century. Created by François-Edmond Pâris and lithographed by Sigismond Himely, the work was originally published in the official account of the corvette La Favorite’s global expedition, commanded by Cyrille Pierre Théodore Laplace between 1830 and 1832. The scene meticulously captures the village architecture, featuring traditional conical dwellings with thatched straw or grass roofs, while simultaneously documenting the rhythms of daily life. By depicting the local population engaged in various tasks alongside domestic animals like chickens and pigs, the engraving serves as an important ethnographic and historical document of West African coastal society during this period of maritime exploration. Image: 10.5 x 14.5 inches; sheet: 12.25 x 18.75 inches $100-150
