Louis Auguste de Sainson

Louis Auguste de Sainson was the official artist aboard Dumont D'Urville's L'Astrolabe, during the ship's three months' voyaging round New Zealand in 1827. His meticulous draughtsmanship recorded Maori weapons and artefacts, and yet a lively sense of humour shows in the carefree figures of the sailors washing their clothes and relaxing ashore on a rare "day off".

Thirty-two plates after de Sainson were published in 1835 in the Atlas which accompanied the official report of the voyage. NZ Prints’ stock beautiful limited edition prints of some of these early views published by Avon Fine Prints.