Antique Interior View of Batalha Monastery, Portugal, Engraving, circa 1850

An interior view at the monastery of Batalha in Portugal, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption beneath the image reads BATALHA, the Dominican monastery of Batalha in central Portugal.

Under a ribbed vault, a deeply carved late Gothic archway at the center opens into a bright space with tall windows, where two small figures stand. An altar dressed with a cloth and lit candles stands at the right, beneath a classical frame with a seated carved figure in its niche. Two women in white headcloths kneel before it and a third kneels nearby, while a woman in a dark shawl stands at the left of center beside a basket. A stone basin juts from the wall at the left below a cross, and weeds grow from the floor in the foreground.

The artist's credit at the lower left reads Holland pinx. (painted by Holland), and the engraver's credit at the lower right reads B. Metzeroth sc. (engraved by B. Metzeroth). Below the caption, the imprint at the left reads Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Instit. in Hildburgh. (from the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen), and at the right Eigenthum der Verleger. (property of the publishers). The plate number CCCLXXIX is engraved at the top right, above the image.

The imprint is that of Meyer's Universum, a serial collection of engraved views with descriptive text, published by Joseph Meyer's Bibliographisches Institut at Hildburghausen from 1833, its plates engraved on steel. The sheet comes from a dealer's album rather than from a bound set.

Marked handling soiling along the left, right and top edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Corners and edges are not shown by this scan. Clean, even paper tone in the margin.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.