Antique Steel Line Engraving of "Tintern Abbey" Monmouthshire 1907

Description: While a bit dusty in appearance, this is really a special piece. This was found with two other engravings in the same Estate and one had a sticker on the back of the frame that indicates this to be 1830s original steel line engraving published in London. This is an original print, not a modern copy. Guaranteed over 150 years old! I do not know if this one can make the same claim, but this estate had very authentic treasures, so I suspect it is the real deal! The piece is an engraving by John Raphael Smith, a prominent British engraving in the early-1800s. It is entitled, " Tintern Abbey. Monmouthsire. On the left hand bottom is the engraved by J. Smith from a drawing by G. Holmes and on the right is For the Beauties of England and Wales. Amazing detail of this prominent Scottish castle, including a full contingent of dogs, horses and people on the front lawn. The antique piece of art has been protected by glass and appears to be in really nice condition other than some slight waviness to the paper. The frame is a more stylized beveled oak with a tin gold inner accent and the piece has a dark brown mat with a thin green line to off-set the delicate colors of the engraving. The frame has a few nicks and scratches(but in nicer condition than the other two found with it and posted separately), and is in good structural condition. The back has black finishing paper with some age marks. The original Framing sticker is on the back. There is a hanging wire. Background of the engraver I found in my research - John Raphael Smith (25 May 1751 – 2 March 1812) was a British painter and mezzotinter. He was the son of Thomas Smith of Derby, the landscape painter, and father of John Rubens Smith, a painter who emigrated to the United States. As a mezzotint engraver Smith occupies the very highest rank. His prints are delicate, excellent in drawing and finely expressive of colour. Background of the artist - George Holmes (fl.1789–1804) was a pupil in the Dublin Society's School, where he won a medal for landscape drawing in 1789. Afterwards he found employment making drawings of views for book illustrations. Engravings after his work appeared in a number of books and magazines throughout the 1790s. His subjects were Irish, often including castles and priories, such as Roebuck Castle, Dunloe Castle, Blarney Castle and Swords Castle, and St John's Priory, Kilkenny and Cashel Cathedral. In the autumn of 1797 he toured southern Ireland, and the resulting pictures were published in London in 1801 in a book entitled 'Sketches of some of the Southern Counties of Ireland collected during a Tour in the autumn of 1797, in a series of Letters'. Six views after Holmes were engraved in aquatint by Samuel Alken, including the Rock of Cashel, Cormac's Chapel, Interior of the Abbey of Holycross, Ross Castle, Muckross Lake and Castle of Lismore. It is thought that Holmes left Ireland around 1799, exhibiting at the Royal Academy between 1799 and 1802. Five drawings by Holmes are in the British Museum collection. Pretty special to add to your historical collection! Dimensions: 10" X 11 3/4" X 1 1/8"The image is 5 1/8" x 6 5/8"

Price: 45 USD

Location: Traverse City, Michigan

End Time: 2024-10-04T16:17:28.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD