The Courtyard of the Royal Exchange with Merchants, London, 1804

About this sheet

This is an original antique copper engraving, uncolored, lettered "The Royal Exchange." The view looks from under the arcade into the open courtyard of the Exchange. A massive column and broad arches frame the scene, a statue on a tall pedestal stands in the center of the court, and the richly carved facades around it carry niches with standing royal figures, with a tall timber frame visible on the roof above. Merchants in tailcoats and top hats stand in small groups and talk business across the paved floor.

The title is engraved in script below the image, and the engraver's credit "J. G. Walker sc." is at lower right. The artist's credit at lower left is printed too faintly to be read in full. The imprint above the image reads "Published Augt 11-1804 by Richard Phillips 71 St Pauls Church Yard."

The plate comes from Modern London; Being the History and Present State of the British Metropolis, printed for Richard Phillips, No. 71, St. Paul's Church-Yard, by C. Mercier and Co., Northumberland-court, Strand, in 1804, and "illustrated with numerous copper plates." Its plates were engraved on copper by several London engravers, each of whom signed his own work. The Royal Exchange shown here was the second building on the site, completed after the Great Fire and itself destroyed by fire in 1838.

A fitting print for a financial office or for collectors of City of London views.

Condition: Light wear to the top left corner. Age toning; handling soiling along the edges and foxing with some brown staining 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.