Artists

Collection Items | Internet Sites | Further Sources

Nicolas-Martin Petit and Charles-Alexandre Lesueur both signed on as crew members of the Le Geographe because they were keen to travel to the undiscovered lands of New Holland. Without these two talented young men the expedition's value would have been greatly lessened, as all three of the official artists resigned from the expedition before it even reached the southern continent. With the English artists, Petit and Lesueur were the first Europeans to portray the land, people, animals, plants and marine life of South Australia.

Nicolas-Martin Petit

Nicolas-Martin Petit was born in Paris in 1777. His family was artistic, and he also studied art. In 1800 he joined Baudin's expedition and teamed up with the scientist Francois Peron and artist Lesueur to record the Aborigines and fauna of Terres Australes.

Petit's sensitive paintings of the indigenous people of Van Diemen's Land, Port Jackson and Western Australia were highly praised by scientists in France on his return to his homeland. His portraits of aboriginal communities are particularly valuable for their accuracy of representation rather than stylised images.

Tragically, Petit died in 1804 in an accident in the streets of Paris, shortly before his marriage was to take place.

Charles-Alexandre Lesueur

Born in Le Havre in January 1778, Charles-Alexander Lesueur was the son of a naval officer. He loved drawing, especially natural history, and wanted to travel to far off lands. He joined the Baudin expedition as a crew member, but like Petit was able to take over as an expedition artist when the official artists resigned.

Lesueur became the natural history artist, and his images of Australia's exotic marine life are particularly striking. He was a friend of the scientist Peron, and when Peron became ill after the expedition had returned to France, Lesueur nursed him until his death in 1810.

In 1815 Lesueur went to the United States and travelled extensively there and in the West Indies before he settled down in Philadelphia. Lesueur stayed in the United States for 25 years, where he discovered a number of zoological species including tortoises and fishes. He taught painting, and was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society, and of the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Lesueur returned to France in 1837,and in 1845 went back to Le Havre to oversee the building of the Natural History Museum. He became this museum's first Director. Lesueur died in 1846, having been awarded the Legion of Honour in the previous year.

Collection Items

Description

Thumbnail

Transcription

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Title page.

Title page of Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Lesueur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. The atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes. The title page features a vignette of the garden of Malmaison showing dwarf emus, kangaroos and black swans. Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Title page vignette.

Vignette from the title page of Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Lesueur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. The atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes. Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur.
Napoleon's wife, Josephine introdcued Australian plants and animals into her garden at Malmaison. The live specimens that were brought back to France by the Baudin expediton were divided between the Empress and the Jardin des Plantes. The plants were either nurtured in hothouses or planted directly into the garden. The graceful form of Australia's casuarina, melaleuca and acacia feature in this title page vignette, with kangaroos, emu and black swans gracing the lawns and lake. It was the swans, with their novel black colouring there were most admired by the Empress and her circle.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1 - Plate III.

Plate III. Line 5 of this plate is a view of the west coast of Kangaroo Island, Cape Borda and ravine des Casoarss. Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate V.

Plate V. 'Nouvelle-Hollande: Terre Napoleon.' Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XIV.

Plate XIV. 'Terre de Diemen. Navigation - Vue de la Cote Orientale de L'lle Schouten.' Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XVIII.

Plate XVIII. 'Nouvelle-Hollande. Cour-Rou-Bari-Gal.' Artist - Nicolas-Martin Petit. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XXII.

Plate XXII. 'Nouvelle-Hollande. Vases, armes, peche.' Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XXVIII.

Plate XXVIII. 'Nouvelle-Hollande : I'le King. Le Wombat (Phaecolonis Wombat N.).' Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XXXI.

Plate XXXI. 'Mollusques et zoophytes.' Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XXXIII.

Plate XXXIII. 'Nouvelle-Hollande : Nouvelle Galles du Sud. Dasyure a Longue Queue (Dasyurus Macrourus Geof.).' Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XXXIV.

Plate XXXIV. 'Nouvelle-Hollande : N'elle Galles du Sud.' Illustration of platypus - Ornithorinque Brun and Ornithorinque Roux. Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre & Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes : Atlas historique, Part 1. - Plate XXXVI.

Plate XXXVI. 'Nouvelle-Hollande : Ile Descres. Casoar de la N'elle Hollande (Casuarins novae Hollandiae. Lath.).' Artist - Charles Alexandre Leseur. From: Atlas historique : du Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes, by Charles Alexandre Leseur and Nicolas-Martin Petit. This atlas forms part of Francois Peron's publication Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes.

 

Advertiser, 9 February 2002 - page 40-41.

Williams, Nadine. 'Encounter 2002: Replacing guns with brushes to create a lasting treasure.'


Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch, vol. 66, 1964-1965 - pages 17-31.

Mander-Jones, P. 'The artists who sailed with Baudin and Flinders.'

 

Terre Napoleon : an encounter - 'Macropus fuliginosus'.

Charles-Alexandra Lesueur's watercolour on vellum of Macropus fuliginosus (Western grey kangaroo) - from Terre Napoleon : an encounter : an exhibition presented by the Alliance Francaise de l'Australie du Sud to celebrate the 150th anniversary of South Australia.

 

Terre Napoleon : an encounter - 'Acanthaluteres spilomelanurus'

Charles-Alexandra Lesueur's watercolour of Acanthaluteres spilomelanurus (Bridled leatherjacket) - from Terre Napoleon : an encounter : an exhibition presented by the Alliance Francaise de l'Australie du Sud to celebrate the 150th anniversary of South Australia.

 

Terre Napoleon : an encounter - 'Trichosurus vulpecula'.

Charles-Alexandra Lesueur's watercolour on vellum of Trichosurus vulpecula (Common brushtail possum) - from Terre Napoleon : an encounter : an exhibition presented by the Alliance Francaise de l'Australie du Sud to celebrate the 150th anniversary of South Australia.

 

Terre Napoleon : an encounter - 'Manorina melanocephala'.

Charles-Alexandre Lesueur's watercolour of Manorina melanocephala (Noisy minor) - from Terre Napoleon : an encounter : an exhibition presented by the Alliance Francaise de l'Australie du Sud to celebrate the 150th anniversary of South Australia.

 

Internet sites

Charles-Alexandre Lesueur

Natural History Museum, Le Havre: Lesueur Collection: summarised biographies

Natural History: Voyage of a painter [Charles-Alexander Lesueur]

PictureAustralia

Further sources

Baudin in Australian waters: the artwork of the French voyage of discovery to the southern lands 1800-1804 / edited by Jacqueline Bonnemains, Elliott Forsyth and Bernard Smith. Melbourne: Oxford University Press in association with the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 1988

The Encounter 1802: art of the Flinders and Baudin voyages / [compiled by] Sarah Thomas Adelaide: Art Gallery of South Australia, 2002

Lesueur, Charles Alexandre. Les velins de Charles-Alexandre Lesueur (Museum d'Histoire Naturelle du Havre): exposition du 4 mai au 2 juin 1996. Le Havre, France: The Museum, 1996

Petit, Nicolas-Martin. Oeuvres de Nicolas-Martin Petit, artiste du voyage aux Terres Australes (1800-1804): exposition du 1er juin au 31 décembre 1997. Le Havre: Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Havre, Collection Lesueur, 1997

Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch vol. 66, 1964-65. Mander-Jones, Phyllis. 'The artists who sailed with Baudin and Flinders.'

Terre Napoléon, Australia through French eyes, 1800-1804, Susan Hunt, Paul Carter, Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales & Horden House, Museum of Sydney, 27 February - 30 May 1999, Sydney, 1999.

Le voyage aux Terres Australes 1800-1804, Ville de Honfleur, Musée Eugène Boudin, 4 Mai-24 Juin, 1996 /conçu par Anne-Marie Bergeret.Honfleur: Musée Eugène Boudin, 1996