Antique Engraving – Royal College of Physicians, Warwick Lane, London, 1746
€ 130
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Date
1746
Sheet size
20.5 × 21 cm (8.1 × 8.3 in)
Condition
Fair
Reference
BG-13825-7
Condition
Condition summary: Borders are not good, but the image is, given age. Stains and smudges in the margins and plate area. Mounted on old paper. General age-related toning, but strong impression with clear architectural detail.
About this sheet
Antique Engraving – Royal College of Physicians, Warwick Lane, London, 1746
This finely executed 18th-century engraving depicts the courtyard of the Royal College of Physicians at Warwick Lane, London, viewed from the south. The image, titled “Collegium Regale Medicorum Londinensium,” captures the formal architecture of the College’s 17th-century premises, which served as its home from 1674 until 1825.
The composition presents the elegant symmetry of the main building, with its central entrance framed by rows of evenly spaced windows, and to the right, the domed circular hall with arched ground floor, a distinctive feature of the College’s design.
The Royal College of Physicians, founded in 1518, was established to regulate the practice of medicine in London. Its Warwick Lane building, designed by Robert Hooke, was a significant work of Restoration architecture, notable for its domed hall — one of the earliest in London. This print provides a rare visual record of the building, which was demolished after the College’s relocation in the early 19th century.
Published in 1746 in Amsterdam by Isaak Tirion, this engraving served as the frontispiece for the *Pharmacopoeia Collegii Regalis Medicorum Londinensis*, the official pharmacopoeia of the College. The combination of etching and engraving on hand-laid verge paper gives the work its crisp line detail and subtle tonal variation.
Condition summary: Borders are not good, but the image is, given age. Stains and smudges in the margins and plate area. Mounted on old paper. General age-related toning, but strong impression with clear architectural detail.
Framing tips: A dark wood or black frame will enhance the architectural lines, while an off-white or cream mount will draw focus to the fine engraving. A gilt-lined inner mount could be added for a refined period look. Museum-grade glazing is recommended to protect the paper.
Technique: Engraving and etching on hand-laid verge paper Maker: Anonymous Publisher: Isaak Tirion, Amsterdam, 1746
