Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, after T. M. Baynes, Antique Steel Engraving, 1837

About this sheet

This antique steel engraving of Canterbury Cathedral in Kent was drawn by Thomas Mann Baynes, engraved by S. Lacey and published in London by George Virtue in 1837. The plate is lettered "Canterbury Cathedral, Kent" and shows the south side of the cathedral with its great central tower, Bell Harry, seen from a street in the city.

Baynes frames the building between the houses of the street, so that the long Perpendicular nave and the soaring tower rise above the ordinary life of the town, where small figures walk and talk in the foreground. Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of the Church of England and the place of Thomas Becket's martyrdom in 1170, was one of the most popular subjects for topographical artists of the period.

The lettering reads "Drawn by T. M. Baynes", "Engraved by S. Lacey" and "Published 1837, by Geo. Virtue, 26, Ivy Lane". The plate is probably from Virtue's Picturesque Beauties of Great Britain, the Kent volume of which, with text by Thomas Allen, was illustrated with views after Baynes and others, although this cannot be confirmed from the sheet. It is a steel engraving printed in black and is uncoloured, with the fine, even tonal work typical of the 1830s.

This Canterbury Cathedral engraving would suit collectors of Kent topography, of English cathedrals or of Gothic architecture. It frames well in a narrow moulding and makes a thoughtful gift for anyone with a Canterbury or Kent connection.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, bright with only very light toning and a few faint spots in the margins; the image is clean and crisp.

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.