Grand Ducal Castle, Schwerin, Mecklenburg, Antique Engraving, circa 1880
€ 130
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1880
Mapmaker / artist
Unsigned wood engraving
Publisher
Not named on the sheet
Technique
Wood engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13194-92
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Light wear to the top left corner. Age toning, darker at the edges; handling soiling along the edges and scattered foxing in the margins. Printed image clean.
About this sheet
A view of the Grand Ducal Castle at Schwerin seen across the water, a fairy-tale building of towers, turrets, domes and pinnacles rising above a stone embankment and balustraded terrace. The varied roofline, with conical spires, a gilded dome and an equestrian figure at the top, dominates the composition, while bare trees and shrubs soften the foreground.
At right an arcaded loggia opens onto the water, and a grand staircase sweeps up from the garden terrace to the main building. The calm water in the foreground reflects the embankment, and a sky of light cloud sets off the dense architecture.
Schwerin Castle stands on an island in the lake at Schwerin, the old capital of the grand duchy of Mecklenburg, and was rebuilt in the middle of the nineteenth century in a lavish historicist style inspired by the French Renaissance châteaux of the Loire. The print is captioned "GRAND-DUCAL CASTLE. SCHWERIN." in letterpress beneath the image.
This is a wood engraving, printed with its caption as a book or periodical illustration. The engraver has used close, even lines to model the many facets of the building and lighter cutting for the sky, giving a clear and orderly image of a very complicated piece of architecture, with every window and turret distinct.
A good piece for anyone who loves castles or German history, it would sit nicely on a bookcase wall or in a child's room, framed in black.
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.
