Natural Bridge of Virginia, Hand-Colored Landscape Engraving, c.1840

Religion · 19th century

Natural Bridge of Virginia, Hand-Colored Landscape Engraving, c.1840

€ 198

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1840
Sheet size: 26.3 × 17.9 cm (10.4 × 7.0 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14302-17

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 consistent with age. Light age toning and scattered foxing, primarily visible in the margins. Minor handling wear and faint creasing. Original hand-coloring remains attractive. Please examine photographs carefully.

About this sheet

Natural Bridge in Virginia, an original hand-colored steel engraving from a German publication of about 1840. The title is engraved beneath the image in German as "Die natürliche Brücke in Virginien, Verein. Staaten", and a plate number appears at the upper right.

The view looks up from the creek bed at the great limestone arch, which spans a narrow gorge. Pale sky and a distant ridge show through the opening, while dark cliffs rise on both sides, topped with small trees. In the foreground a stream runs over rocks, and two tiny figures at the lower left give a sense of the arch's height. The color is applied lightly: blue sky, green foliage and brown and gray rock.

Natural Bridge, in Rockbridge County, was one of the best-known natural sights of the young United States, and Thomas Jefferson owned the property. European publishers of the period regularly included it among their views of American scenery.