Lot Essay
Leroy clearly followed the same original drawings as Marchais (see lot 93) whose engraver's drawing became the model for plate 103 in the Atlas Historique. The original drawing(s) which Leroy and Marchais followed are not known (Marchais worked from a 'croquis communiqué') but the style is reminiscent of Nicolas Martin Petit, Baudin's artist, so Freycinet may have been supplementing imagery for the voyage of the Uranie from sketches made on Baudin's voyage. The original drawings for plate 102 ('dess. par Leroy d'après divers croquis') may also derive from Petit's work on Baudin's voyage.