Sports & Leisure · 19th century
€ 90
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Nearly excellent. Please study scan carefully.
This antique print, titled *La Kermesse à Middelbourg*, depicts a bustling fairground in Middelburg, the Netherlands. It was created in 1882 as part of the publication *La Hollande à vol d'Oiseau* (The Netherlands from a Bird's Flight) by Henry Havard. The print is a heliogravure (photogravure) reproduction of a charcoal drawing by François Antoine Maxime Lalanne, a French artist renowned for his etchings and charcoal works.
The image showcases the lively atmosphere of a traditional Dutch kermesse (fair), with market stalls and crowds gathered in front of the iconic City Hall of Middelburg. The scene captures the essence of 19th-century European festivals, with vendors, townspeople, and the intricate architectural details of the town's buildings in the background.
Lalanne's careful attention to the structure of the buildings, combined with the dynamic crowd, highlights both the architectural beauty of Middelburg and the cultural importance of public fairs during this period.
