The Thames from Richmond Hill, Antique Engraving after Birket Foster, circa 1876
€ 320
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1876
Mapmaker / artist
B. Foster (artist, Birket Foster), J. Saddler (engraver)
Publisher
Cassell, Petter & Galpin, London
Technique
Steel engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13194-59
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 age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image clean.
About this sheet
From the top of Richmond Hill the Thames sweeps away in a broad, shining curve through dense woodland in this panoramic steel engraving. A small island lies in midstream, meadows open along the far bank, a thin trail of smoke rises in the distance, and the wooded plain stretches to a hazy horizon under a bright, high sky. In the foreground a tall tree frames the left side, where a young couple sit at its foot, the woman in a wide hat with a parasol beside her. A flock of sheep grazes down the sloping field to the right.
The plate is lettered "The Thames from Richmond Hill". The view from the hill over the river toward Twickenham and Ham has been admired and painted for centuries and remains one of the best known prospects near London. The drawing is credited to B. Foster, and the artist's BF monogram appears in the lower left corner of the image: this is Birket Foster, the Victorian watercolorist celebrated for his idyllic English countryside. It was engraved by J. Saddler and carries the imprint of Cassell, Petter & Galpin of London.
The technique is steel engraving, printed in black on wove paper without color. Saddler captures Foster's gentle style closely, with soft, glinting water, a richly textured canopy of trees and finely engraved sheep catching the afternoon light.
Restful and open, it suits a sitting room or a bedroom, and would look well matted in ivory within a slim gold or walnut frame.
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.
