[Ascension Island]:

$3,750 · Offered by William Reese Company

[WATERCOLOR VIEW OF COASTAL FORT, PROBABLY ASCENSION ISLAND]. An attractive watercolor view of a small coastal fort and settlement, probably at Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The painting, a bird's-eye perspective facing the sea, shows an austere coastal landscape in reds and browns, with a Union Jack flying from the small fort on a hill near the settlement of one- and two-story buildings. In the foreground a gentleman in a colorful suit stands with a staff or pike, and others survey the scene with a telescope. Near the structures waves crash upon a sandy and rocky shore, and four ships sail in the distance. A later ink inscription on the verso of the painting reads, "Ascension," and the scene strongly suggests Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, part of the British dependency of St. Helena, and an important stopping point for ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope throughout the age of sail. Few images of Ascension have survived from this early period.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.