Thomas Carlyle, Scottish Historian and Essayist, Engraved Portrait, circa 1870
€ 165
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1870
Mapmaker / artist
Unsigned steel engraving, after a photograph by Elliott & Fry
Publisher
William Mackenzie, London, Edinburgh & Glasgow
Technique
Steel engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Sheet size
28 × 19 cm (11.0 × 7.5 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14343-15
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
Good condition for its age. A few small spots to the upper margin; small nick to the upper left edge; faint pencil numbering in the lower right margin. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
An original antique engraved portrait of Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish historian and essayist, engraved from a photograph by Elliott & Fry and published by William Mackenzie of London, Edinburgh and Glasgow around 1870.
Carlyle is shown at half length in old age, seated and turned three quarters to the right, his eyes lowered in thought. A mass of white hair falls over his brow, a full white beard frames his face, and his long hands are folded over the head of a walking stick. He wears a dark coat with a velvet collar over a white shirt and black tie, set against a plain dark ground of fine engraved texture. The engraver has kept the soft modeling of the photograph while giving the hair and beard a silvery brilliance.
Thomas Carlyle (1795 to 1881) was born at Ecclefechan in Dumfriesshire and became one of the dominant voices of Victorian Britain. His French Revolution, his lectures On Heroes and Hero Worship and his life of Frederick the Great made him a sage to a whole generation, and he lived for almost fifty years in Cheyne Row, Chelsea.
The lettering reads "Engraved from a Photograph by Elliott & Fry" beneath the image, the name "Thomas Carlyle." in open capitals, and the imprint "William Mackenzie, London, Edinburgh & Glasgow" at the foot of the sheet. Elliott and Fry, of Baker Street, were among the leading London portrait photographers of the day, and Mackenzie used engravings after their photographs in his illustrated biographical and literary works.
A handsome, well printed portrait for a library or study, and an appealing gift for a reader of Victorian history and letters.
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.
