Horace Bénédict de Saussure and others ascending Mont Blanc. Coloured aquatint.

Reference:
43846i
  • Pictures
  • Online

Available online

view Horace Bénédict de Saussure and others ascending Mont Blanc. Coloured aquatint.

Public Domain Mark

You can use this work for any purpose without restriction under copyright law. Read more about this licence.

Credit

Horace Bénédict de Saussure and others ascending Mont Blanc. Coloured aquatint. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 1 image

About this work

Description

In an earlier version of this aquatint, de Saussure is shown as a portly man making the climb with great difficulty. That version was replaced with the present version, in which he is shown as slim and agile

Horace-Bénédict de Saussure longed to perform scientific experiments on the summit of Mont Blanc, and in 1760, when only twenty years old, he offered a prize to anyone finding a route to the top. The first ascent was not made until August 1786. De Saussure finally succeeded in reaching the top himself on 3 August 1787, in an expedition lasting four days 41/2 hours. At the age of 47, he was the oldest person to reach the summit until 1875, when the Marquis de Turenne made the ascent at the age of 72 years

Publication/Creation

[Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified]

Physical description

1 print : aquatint, with gouache ; image and border 11.7 x 15.7 cm

Lettering

Montée de Mr. Saussure sur le cime de Montblanc. Aout 1787 Lettering in pencil on mount

Notes

Mounted on the same sheet as another aquatint showing the descent

Reference

Wellcome Collection 43846i

Type/Technique

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

Permanent link