Wark Castle, Northumberland, after G. Arnald, Border Antiquities, circa 1815

About this sheet

An original early nineteenth century engraving of Wark Castle in Northumberland, lettered "Wark Castle, Northumberland" and "Engraved by J. Greig, from a Painting by G. Arnald, A.R.A. for the Border Antiquities of England and Scotland" (the last word joined by an ampersand).

Arnald places the viewer on rising ground above the River Tweed. In the foreground a farmstead with a tall chimneyed house, thatched barns and a great haystack sits among trees, with cattle resting and grazing in the meadow and a slender tree rising at the left. Beyond, the river curves past steep pale banks, a small boat lies on the water, and the grassy mound of the castle with a fragment of masonry rises above the farm, with the long blue hills of the border closing the distance under a broad, cloudy sky.

Wark on Tweed was one of the most contested fortresses on the frontier between England and Scotland, besieged and taken many times in the Middle Ages, and by the early nineteenth century little remained but its earthworks and a few walls. The Border Antiquities of England and Scotland, with descriptive text by Walter Scott, was published in London in parts between 1814 and 1817, with plates engraved by James Greig after Arnald, Luke Clennell, J. M. W. Turner and others. George Arnald, an Associate of the Royal Academy, was a painter of landscapes and marine subjects.

The engraving is a fine example of Regency topographical work, with crisp line in the foliage and buildings and a soft, luminous treatment of the sky and water. No publisher's imprint appears on this impression, as is often the case with the plates from the bound volumes.

This is an atmospheric and well balanced view that would suit a country house, a study or a collection of prints of Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.

Condition: Good condition for its age. Light toning, light spotting and small marks at the upper edge, with faint soiling to the margins. The image is clean. Please review the images for further condition details.

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.