Rocks at Ross near Kilkee, Ireland, Antique Engraving after H. Fenn, circa 1876

About this sheet

A storm-driven sea pours through a pair of great natural arches in this steel engraving of the Atlantic coast of County Clare. The layered rock bends over the water like a broken bridge, its strata drawn line by line, while waves boil through the openings below and burst into spray against the outer reefs. Sheep graze unconcerned along the grassy crown of the arch, and a second flock rests among the rocks in the lower left corner, giving the scene its scale. Gulls wheel overhead, a low headland lies on the far horizon, and a column of spray climbs into a broken, windy sky.

The plate is lettered "Rocks at Ross." with the subtitle "(Near Kilkee, Ireland)". Kilkee is a seaside town on the Clare coast, and the sea arches at Ross, a short distance along the shore, were a celebrated sight for travelers. The drawing is credited to H. Fenn, the English-born illustrator Harry Fenn, whose signature also appears in the image at lower left, and the plate was engraved by R. Hinshelwood. The imprint beneath the title is that of Cassell, Petter & Galpin, the London publishing house that issued large illustrated topographical works in the 1870s.

Hinshelwood handles the water with real energy: tight, curling lines for the breaking surf and softer, open work for the spray and cloud, set against the dense, ruled texture of the rock. The impression is printed in black ink on wove paper, uncolored, with the title in engraved script below.

Dramatic and full of movement, it would suit a coastal home, a study with a seafaring theme, or a wall of Irish views, and it looks especially strong in a narrow black frame with a pale mat.

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.