Travel & Transport
€ 205
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good condition, with light age-related toning and occasional spotting in the margins. The image remains clean and well-defined, with strong contrast and fine engraved detail. Plate mark visible.
Antique New Mexico Landscape Print, Wagon Train Scene, Meyer 1850s
This atmospheric mid-19th-century engraving presents a striking frontier landscape titled “Landschaft bei der Furth über den Read River,” depicting a wagon train crossing near the Read River in what is now New Mexico. Published in Germany by Herrmann J. Meyer as part of the renowned *Meyer’s Universum* series, the print reflects the European fascination with the vast and dramatic landscapes of the American West during a period of expansion and exploration.
The composition is beautifully balanced, combining panoramic depth with intimate human activity in the foreground. A group of settlers gathers beside wagons and horses, suggesting a moment of rest during a long overland journey. Covered wagons, livestock, and figures in conversation evoke the movement of migration and the realities of frontier life. Beyond them, the landscape opens into a wide river valley, with layered mesas, rugged hills, and distant पर्वत ranges rendered with fine tonal gradation and precision.
The engraving captures the romantic yet challenging nature of westward expansion, presenting the American frontier as both vast and inhabited, remote yet active. The inclusion of figures and transport elements adds narrative depth, making this more than a simple landscape—it becomes a visual record of migration, trade routes, and settlement patterns in the mid-19th century.
Executed as a steel engraving, the print displays the crisp linework and subtle shading characteristic of the period, with excellent detail in both the terrain and the figures. The German captioning and publication context further enhance its appeal as part of a broader European interpretation of the American West.
This example is an original antique engraving. It is not a modern reproduction. Any images showing the print framed are for visual inspiration only. The print is supplied unframed.
Condition report: Good condition, with light age-related toning and occasional spotting in the margins. The image remains clean and well-defined, with strong contrast and fine engraved detail. Plate mark visible.
Framing tips: This print pairs beautifully with a dark walnut or ebonized frame and a wide warm ivory mat, enhancing the depth of the landscape and creating a refined, gallery-style presentation. Particularly suitable for study, library, or western-themed interiors.
Technique: Steel engraving
Maker: Bibliographisches Institut (after Herrmann J. Meyer), Hildburghausen, Germany, circa 1852–1854
