Falls of the Hespte, Antique Steel Engraving after J.B. Smith, circa 1876

About this sheet

A broad waterfall pours over a ledge of layered rock into a deep, misty pool, set in a wooded gorge. The water falls in a single sheet, breaking into foam and spray at the base, and the river then runs toward the viewer over a series of low steps and boulders. Cliffs of horizontally bedded stone rise on either side, topped with trees; a tall, leaning tree on the right reaches out over the gorge. On a flat rock at the left two small figures, one seated and one standing, take in the view, which gives the scene its sense of scale. Soft clouds fill the sky above the trees.

The lettering reads "Falls of the Hespte". The painter is credited as J.B. Smith at lower left and the engraver as T. Heawood at lower right, and the imprint Cassell, Petter and Galpin, the London publisher, is lettered beneath the title. Waterfalls in wooded gorges were a favorite subject of the Victorian picturesque, and this view shows why: the composition draws the eye from the rocks at the bottom up the river to the white fall at its heart.

This is a steel engraving of fine quality. The engraver renders the falling water with long, delicate vertical lines and the spray with soft stippling, contrasting both with the hard edges of the rock strata and the dense texture of the trees.

A restful landscape for a bedroom, a reading room or a country cottage, framed in natural oak or a simple black molding.

Condition: Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image 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.