Sale 214 Lot 207

Esclaves conduits par des marchands (Slaves led by merchants), 18th century engraving Unframed. This historical engraving, titled Esclaves conduits par des marchands (Slaves led by merchants), is a significant 18th-century illustration created by the French artist Jean-Michel Moreau, known as Moreau le Jeune, and engraved by Nicolas Delaunay. It originally appeared in the seminal work Histoire philosophique et politique des établissements et du commerce des Européens dans les deux Indes by Guillaume-Thomas Raynal, a prominent critic of European colonialism and an early advocate for human rights. The scene provides a stark depiction of the Atlantic slave trade, capturing a line of enslaved individuals being led across a landscape while carrying long poles or yokes. Through its intricate artistic detail—including a central figure gesturing toward the captives and others resting in the foreground—the image serves as a powerful visual critique of the brutality inherent in the trade and reflects the abolitionist sentiments pioneered by Abbé Raynal. Sheet: 11 x 8.25 inches; Image: 6 x 4 inches
$100-150