Laufenburg on the Rhine, Antique Steel Engraving after Birket Foster, c. 1872
€ 140
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1872
Mapmaker / artist
Birket Foster (artist), E.I. Roberts (engraver)
Publisher
William Mackenzie, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow
Technique
Steel engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13194-78
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 and bottom right corners. Light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.
About this sheet
A steel engraving of Laufenburg on the High Rhine after Birket Foster, engraved by E.I. Roberts for William Mackenzie.
The old town climbs from the river with its tall church tower and, on the rock above, the square tower of the castle ruin. The Rhine runs fast and narrow past the houses, and a covered bridge crosses toward the opposite bank. Wooded slopes rise at right, and in the foreground a small group of figures rests on the hillside overlooking the valley under a broad, cloud filled sky.
The plate is lettered "B. Foster" and "E.I. Roberts", with the title "Laufenburg" and the imprint "William Mackenzie, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow". It belongs to the same Mackenzie series of Rhine views as the companion plate of Liebenstein and Sterrenberg, which Heritage Images records in H.M. Hozier's The Franco-Prussian War (1872), so it is dated circa 1872.
Laufenburg lies on the border between Switzerland and Germany, where the Rhine once forced its way through rapids that made the town an important stop for river traffic. Birket Foster's view gives the whole town in one sweep, from water to castle.
A charming piece for a hallway or study, especially for anyone with a connection to the Swiss Rhine. The engraved image measures about 11.3 by 16.3 cm (height by width), and the margins around it carry all the original lettering, which is worth keeping visible in the mat.
Condition: Light wear to the top left and bottom right corners. 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.
