Castle of Punhete, Tagus, Portugal, Peninsular War, Antique Engraving, 1817

About this sheet

This antique engraving of the Castle of Punhete on the banks of the Tagus shows a ruined castle tower on a rock in the river with soldiers on the march, an original Peninsular War view of Portugal published in London by Thomas Kelly in 1817. The plate is lettered "Castle of Punhete, on the banks of the Tagus", signed "Heath sculp.", and carries the imprint "London, Published by Thomas Kelly, Paternoster Row February 22, 1817."

Punhete, known today as Constância, stands where the Zêzere joins the Tagus in the Ribatejo, and the river valley was an important line of movement during the Peninsular War, when British and Portuguese forces faced the French armies of Masséna in 1810 and 1811. The tower rising from its rock in midstream recalls the island castle of Almourol, which lies in the Tagus close to Punhete, although the plate itself names only Punhete. Boats on the river and a column of troops on the bank give the scene its sense of wartime movement.

Thomas Kelly issued a group of Spanish and Portuguese views in 1817, including Mafra, Salamanca and the bridge over the Nissa, and these are probably plates from a Kelly history of the Peninsular War issued in parts. The same engraving is recorded by the National Library of Portugal with the Kelly imprint and the date 1817, but the title of the book has not been confirmed, so the plate is described simply as published by Kelly. It is an uncoloured line engraving by Heath.

This Punhete engraving will appeal to collectors of Portuguese views, castles and the history of Wellington's campaigns. It would suit a study or hallway framed in dark wood with an off white mount, and pairs well with the other 1817 Peninsular plates in this group.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, faint mottling in the lower left margin and a single small spot in the sky; otherwise 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.