Spreewald Costume Scene, Prussia, Women in Boat, c.1875
€ 190
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1875
Mapmaker / artist
Albert Kretschmer (after), Leipzig, c.1875
Technique
Chromolithography
Sheet size
31.5 × 25.5 cm (12.4 × 10.0 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14222-24
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Very good condition. Mild edge toning and faint handling marks in margins, image area clean with strong color.
About this sheet
Spreewald Costume Scene, Prussia, Women in Boat, c.1875
A vivid narrative chromolithograph depicting women in traditional Spreewald costume seated in a flat-bottomed boat, a scene characteristic of the canal-rich landscape of the region. The composition combines ethnographic costume detail with everyday rural life, showing lace collars, patterned aprons, and ceremonial headwear in active use.
The costumes shown are those of the Sorbian or Wendish population of the Spreewald and the wider Lusatian cultural area. Worn across villages in Lower Lusatia and parts of Brandenburg and Saxony, these garments formed an essential expression of identity, particularly for women.
Published in Leipzig by J. G. Bach after designs by Albert Kretschmer, the plate belongs to a celebrated 19th-century series documenting regional European dress with both scholarly intent and decorative refinement. The inclusion of landscape and movement gives the image strong visual appeal for interior display.
CONDITION: Very good condition. Mild edge toning and faint handling marks in margins, image area clean with strong color.
FRAMING AND MATTING SUGGESTIONS: Medium to dark walnut frame with a soft cream or light linen-toned mat; a slightly wider bottom margin mat works well with the horizontal movement of the scene.
