Architecture & Design · 19th century
€ 440
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Condition report: Good impression with strong tonal contrasts. Minor age toning in the margins, faint handling marks, and a small scattered fox mark, none affecting the image. Plate mark visible. Blank verso.
Antique lithograph of the Tower of Santo Domingo, Lima, Peru – 1865
This fine lithograph, published in Paris in 1865 as part of Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán’s Atlas Geográfico de la República del Perú, depicts the celebrated Tower of Santo Domingo in Lima. The view, drawn by F. Delamare and printed by H. Jacomme, shows the church and convent complex dominating the city skyline, with the high Andes providing a majestic backdrop.
The composition captures the urban fabric of mid-19th-century Lima in remarkable detail. In the foreground, rooftop patios reveal domestic life, complete with laundry hanging in the open air and small miradores or kiosks perched above the cityscape. The tower itself, with its elaborate baroque forms and multiple tiers, rises prominently at the center of the scene, symbolizing the religious and cultural presence of the Dominican Order in colonial Peru. To the left, the dome of another significant church balances the composition, underlining the role of ecclesiastical architecture in shaping Lima’s identity.
Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán (1821–1886), a distinguished Peruvian geographer and statesman, published the Atlas Geográfico in Paris with the firm Adolphe Lainé & J. Havard. It was the first atlas dedicated entirely to Peru and combined maps, city plans, statistical tables, and a suite of 29 lithographic views of monuments, cities, and landscapes. These views offered European and Peruvian readers alike a vivid image of the country’s geography and urban development at a time when national identity was being consolidated.
The Tower of Santo Domingo, represented here before later reconstructions and earthquake damage altered its appearance, is one of Lima’s most iconic colonial landmarks. The print stands not only as a record of architectural heritage but also as a testament to the ambition of Paz Soldán’s project in situating Peru within a global cartographic and cultural framework. Today, plates from the *Atlas Geográfico* are highly sought after by collectors of Latin American history, architecture, and cartographic art.
Condition report: Good impression with strong tonal contrasts. Minor age toning in the margins, faint handling marks, and a small scattered fox mark, none affecting the image. Plate mark visible. Blank verso.
Framing tips: A dark wood or black frame with a cream or light beige archival mat will highlight the warm tones of the lithograph. For a more refined presentation, consider a double mat with a thin inner line in grey to echo the architectural stonework.
Technique: Lithograph
Maker: F. Delamare (artist), printed by H. Jacomme, Paris, 1863, for Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán’s Atlas Geográfico de la República del Perú (Paris, 1865)
