Bishop's Garden Ruins, Norwich, Gothic Antiquities, after Hodgson, circa 1830

About this sheet

This antique engraving of the ruins in the Bishop's Garden at Norwich is an original plate from John Britton's Picturesque Antiquities of the English Cities, published in London in 1830, drawn by D. Hodgson and engraved by John Le Keux. The plate is lettered "Ruins in the Bishop's Garden, Norwich" and carries a dedication by Britton to Sir William Browne ffolkes, Baronet.

The view looks through an ivy covered Gothic gateway and fragments of medieval masonry in the garden of the Bishop's Palace, with the slender spire of Norwich Cathedral rising behind. Gardeners at work give scale and a gentle domestic note, and the play of light across the broken arches is typical of the picturesque taste that Britton did so much to promote. David Hodgson was a Norwich artist of the school around John Crome, and his drawing shows a local eye for the city's buildings.

John Britton was the leading antiquarian publisher of his day, and Picturesque Antiquities of the English Cities gathered views of old streets, gates and ecclesiastical ruins in the cathedral cities of England. John Le Keux was the outstanding architectural engraver of the period, known for the precision and silvery tone of his line. This Norwich engraving is a good example of his work on a small scale, with fine detail in the stonework and foliage.

The plate was issued uncoloured and has since been finished in later hand colour, which warms the stone and greenery. It would suit a collector of Norfolk topography or Gothic architecture, and it would look well in a hallway or library alongside other Norwich views or cathedral prints.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning and a few small spots; the lower margin is trimmed close to the dedication, and the image is clean.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.