Carl Nebel (1805 - 1855)

Born 18 Mar 1805 in Hamburg, Germany

Died 4 Jun 1855 at age 50 in Paris, France

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Biography

Carl Nebel was a German engineer, architect and draftsman, best known for his detailed paintings of the Mexican landscape and people during the battles of the Mexican-American War.

Nebel was born at Altona, today a part of Hamburg. After studies in Hamburg and Paris, he travelled to America, where he was a resident of Mexico from 1829 until 1834. In 1836, he published in Paris his renowned illustrated work on that country—Voyage pittoresque et archéologique dans la partie la plus intéressante du Méxique, with 50 lithographs made from his paintings, twenty of which were hand-colored, and an introduction by Alexander von Humboldt.

In 1851, he published together with George Wilkins Kendall some of his paintings of the events of the Mexican-American War in the book The War between the United States and Mexico Illustrated. The book contained twelve color lithographs done by Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot and was printed by Joseph Lemercier – a leading lithographic team of the time. In both cases, Nebel's illustrations were enhanced by his making use of the newest printing developments in France.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Nebel

Carl Nebel (b. 1805; d. 1855), German painter of Mexican scenes. After studying architecture and design, Nebel traveled through Mexico from 1829 to 1834, exploring various locations with the object of drawing rural and urban landscapes, archaeological sites, and folkloric scenes. Nebel was the first to draw Tajín, Xochicalco, and other sites. Due to his academic education, his drawings are excellent, and his folkloric scenes particularly outstanding.

Returning to Europe, Nebel worked in Paris on publishing his first book on Mexico. Consisting of fifty color lithographs and text based on observations by Alexander Von Humboldt, who was a possible inspiration for Nebel's work, the book first appeared in grand format in 1836, and a Spanish translation entitled Viaje pintoresco y arqueológico: Sobre la parte más interesante de la Repú blica Mexicana was published in 1840. Another book illustrated by Nebel, The War Between the United States and Mexico, was published in Philadelphia in 1851. The drawings were done from memory, perhaps from notes that Nebel had taken or that were supplied to him. The book contains photographs of the Mexican-American War, some of the first photography to serve as testimony of a military clash.

Source: Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/nebel-carl-1805-1855

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Nebel

• http://world4.eu/mexico-carl-nebel-1836/

• http://www.dmwv.org/mexwar/mwart/nebel.html

• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Carl_Nebel