Iles Lucon, Philippines - Valliant c.1840

Title: Chasse au Cerf dans les Montagnes de Marivelles (Iles Luçon, Philippines) (Plate 20)
Artist: After Auguste-Nicolas Vaillant
Publication: From Voyage autour du monde... sur la corvette La Bonite
Published: Paris, c. 1840–1852
Technique: Lithograph with original hand-coloring

Description: This dramatic and beautifully colored lithograph depicts a deer hunt in the Marivelles (Mariveles) mountains on the island of Luzon, Philippines. The scene is a masterpiece of ethnographic and natural history art, captured during the scientific voyage of the French corvette La Bonite.

The composition features local hunters on horseback and on foot, accompanied by hounds in hot pursuit of a stag. The backdrop is a lush, tropical landscape with towering Banyan-like trees and the jagged peaks of the Luzon interior. The print is celebrated for its Romantic era aesthetic, combining a sense of adventure with precise observations of local dress, weaponry, and flora.

• Authenticity: Original mid-19th-century lithograph.

• Historical Context: One of the most famous French scientific expeditions, which aimed to document the geography and cultures of the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

• Visual Appeal: The vibrant hand-coloring and the action-oriented subject matter make this a premiere display piece for collectors of Filipiniana and hunting prints.