Title: Antique Lithograph from 1893 – President Julio Herrera y Obes Reception measures 7 x 4 inches

Description: Up for sale is an exquisite lithograph created in 1893 by the talented lithographer Mege & Aubriot. This unique piece commemorates a historic event: the reception held at the residence of His Excellency President Julio Herrera y Obes. The occasion marked the celebration of the constitutional oath-taking on July 18, 1893.

Details:

• Artist: Mege & Aubriot
• Event: Reception in honor of the constitutional oath
• Location: Montevideo, Uruguay
• Composition: A quick sketch capturing the essence of the moment
• Perspective: Notable perspective errors, with a charming tilt to the right in the depiction of the Cabildo building
• Crowd: The lithograph portrays a bustling crowd filling the square, spilling over balconies and rooftops
• Focus: The artist skillfully avoids individual portraits, emphasizing the collective spirit of the citizens
• Anecdotal Touch: In the foreground, three children playfully attempt to catch a dog, adding a whimsical note to the scene

This lithograph made in 1893 by Mege and Aubriot is based on Lithographic proof by Juan Manuel Besnes and Irigoyen in the album Prontuario de Paiseyes, Montevideo, National Library. And these belonged to the collection of Don Isidoro de Maria as detailed therein.

This lithograph is, furthermore, just a note, a quick sketch, in which errors in perspective are perceived, and a striking inclination to the right of the Cabildo building. Likewise, Besnes' genius is evident in the composition. Looking from the cathedral, he represented the quadrilateral of the plaza, with the three lines of buildings that surrounded it and that he could see from his location. The popular expectation is reflected in the crowd that, like a flood, spills over the sides of the square, and appears from balconies and roof railings. Successfully, the draftsman-lithographer avoids personalisms on this occasion, the protagonist is the citizens, in an overall vision. He was not interested in his particular physiognomic features, not even those of the authorities, which we can guess from the platform raised in the center. The characters in the foreground are more defined, but perhaps only due to issues of compositional planes and perspective. Besnes's observant and humorous spirit is visible in the anecdotal contribution, always in a celebratory tone: in the foreground, in the clearing left by the mass of the audience, three children try to rope a dog.