A Voyage?

THE VOYAGE , BY THE BRAZILIAN!

and South America Traveller !

JOHANN MORITZ RUGENDAS'

first Voyage

(1821 – 1825)

in Letters by his Father and his own.

With details increasing the research knowledge about the
Langsdorff expedition
and on Rugendas' return itself.

Notes

[1]	Andrea Teuscher, Die Künstlerfamilie Rugendas 1666-1858 (catalogue raisonné of the prints on occasion of the great Rugendas exhibition at Augsburg), 1998, p. 243. – back
[2]	Pablo Diener, Rugendas – Imágenes de México/Bilder aus Mexiko, exhibition catalogue 1994. – Short form: Diener 1994. – back
[3]	See Monteiro/Kaz, Expedição Langsdorff ao Brasil 1821-1829, 1988, vol. I: J. M. Rugendas. – back
[4]	Such agreement had been made Sep. 18th or 19th, 1821, in Lahr; comp. the colour illustration of the copy-certification by the Augsburg town court of Oct. 1st/2nd, 1821, signed by son and father Rugendas in Diener ^[11] 1998, p. 124 + his specification of the date with Sep. 18th including source, p. 21/II. According to the same, 1994, p. 24, a consideration of 1000 francs per year, working material, living except for clothing had been arranged whilst "all works produced during the voyage (had to be handed over) to Langsdorff" and without his consent Rugendas was not allowed to publish anything. – back
[5]	Obviously meant the Vienna landscape painter Thomas Ender (1793-1875) who in 1817 accompanied legation councillor Baron von Neveu in the also scientific entourage of Austrian archduchess Leopoldina on her way to Brazil to her husband who established in 1822 as Dom Pedro I. the Brazilian Empire. This entourage was joined by a natural scientific expedition, equipped by the Bavarian government, under Spix and Martius who where already mentioned as having brought the wanderlust to Munich. If Diener 1998, p. 24/I, talks of Ender as the "illustrador de la expedición de J. B. von Spix y C. F. P. von Martius" it has to considered altogether that his "poor health (compelled him even) after (just) one year to return from Rio de Janeiro" (comp. Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie VI, 106, also, for Spix-Martius, XXXV, 231). The obviously faulty, additionally differing writing of "En..." by Rugendas implicating that he was not familiar with the name. In opposite Diener continues: "Es probable que Rugendas haya visto las illustrationes de Ender incluso antes de su viaje ...". And on the stylistic co-existence: "La conceptión artistica de estos estudios diffiere radicalmente del sentido coloristico de la obra austriaco Thomas Ender ...". – back
[6]	Diener: Langsdorff's "Facenda Mandioca" north of Rio. Obviously named after the bitter maniok or kassawa bush, Manihot utilissima Pohl. – back
[7]	According to Diener before their return to Munich Spix and Martius were guests at "Manioca's" in 1820. – back
[8]	In opposite to the projects Rugendas undertook on his own in the meantime the Langsdorff-expedition only started with this travel. Because of overdue means, so Diener 1994, pp. 26 ff., the rest of the entourage stayed at Manioca since their arrival in Rio in March 1822 undertaking only excursions in the Rio area. Still included some inaccuracies referring to details of Rugendas up to the inevitably incriminating misinterpretation that his connection with L. lasted until the beginning of November 1824 when Rugendas broke off the now freelanced accompaniment of the expedition. Actually and in intellectual accordance with the evidence of the letter here and the specification in his statement of Dec. 8, 1825, Rugendas resigned already in 1822 as also Diener 1998, p. 23/II, actualizes: "En octobre de 1822, en el curso de una discusión con son jefe, manifestó la intención de abandonar la expedición ...". And by no means he had returned to Rio immediately after his newly resignation in November. As proven by his letter of May 12, 1825, he arrived there only March 29th after "an absence of 11 months". – back
[9]	History painter Clemens v. Z., since 1815 professor at the academy in Augsburg and as such already mentioned for a possible leaving to Munich under Aug. 9. 1824; since 1825 professor at the academy in Munich. Died only in 1869 he surpassed father + son Rugendas visibly even by this.. – back
[10]	According to the information by Pol Briand, Paris, of June 6^th + August 14^th , 1999, + November 19^th, 2001, doubtless the French brig "Le Faune" (300 t., 8 c.) based at Rio under the command of Lieutenant Alexandre Parseval-Deschênes' (1854 eventually promoted to Amiral de France, the highest of navy honours) which according to his personal report in the Archives de la Marine, Vincennes, served at the French navy's Brazilian station from April 8, 1824, till May 13, 1826. "Anchored in Rio from April 23^rd (1825), the brig sailed to Bahia on June 4^th, arrived there on June 15^th ..." Due to the lack of wharfs and dockyards in Rio the ships then anchored at Guanabara Bay. Thus Rugendas may have known the ship's name from hearsay only. "Le Faune" had orders to take over provisions from the "Bayonnais" – see under 11 – returning to France and thus booked by Rugendas in Bahia, but due to a revision of her rig "Le Faune" set sails only belatedly and missed "Bayonnais" in Bahia which already set sails to Rio May 27^th. For orders received at Bahia "Le Faune" immediately returned to Rio, too. Therefore Rugendas had to look for another passage, see 11. – back
[11]	According to Pol Briand, at last especially on this January 26^th, 2000, Rugendas' may have known "la Bajonneuse" just from hearsay, too. It is about the "Le Bayonnais" built in 1817 as a tramp later converted for long range navigation and sailing the Atlantic. For it could not be the corvette "La Bayonnaise" since launched only June 6^th, 1825, at Cherbourg. However, it cannot be the first neither though otherwise sounding fine as she really set sails to Europe far later where she arrived at Brest Dec. 13, 1825, only. At which time Rugendas already was in Augsburg again as his letter of Dec. 8 proves. "Parceval proposed to Rugendas to take him on Le Faune to Bahia, where he would be able to take passage back to Europe aboard Le Bayonnais. But this plan could not be completed." However, "The dates of letters sent by the French Navy Commander and by the Consul in Rio prove that many other ships were available ...". This, so Briand Nov. 19^th, 2001, was true in fact, but only after a 48-days stay on board of the merchant vessel "Louise" (259 t., 2 c.), based in Le Havre, under captain Le Bastier de Rivry, which slowly took over sugar and leather. Setting sails on August 3^rd she arrived at Le Havre September 25^th. Three days later he disembarked together with 6 other passengers. As personal guest of the captain and at his expense he does not appear in the reports. – back
[12]	Pablo Diener, Rugendas 1802-1858 (monograph + catalogue raisonné of the paintings ad drawings), 2^nd edition, 1998 (the 1^st appeared 1997). – Short form: Diener 1998. – back

back to the Rugendas letters

“ … that I have received the parcel in good order. Very well and professional packed indeed. The litho of Mourot is according to my expectations. The drawing is rare. Colouring most probably same time … ”

(Mr. P. v. d. W., June 26, 2003)

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