Antique View of Messina and the Strait, Sicily, Steel Engraving, circa 1850

This is a view of Messina in Sicily, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption is lettered MESSINA in open capitals at the center below the image.

The city lies in a long pale line along the far shore of the harbor under a range of mountains, with forts at the left and boats on the water. In the foreground, on a paved terrace, a file of soldiers in tall shakos stands with shouldered muskets beside a drummer, while at the left an officer points as gunners work with long cannon barrels on the ground and other soldiers lean on a parapet. A tall tapering stone monument rises at the right edge, with tiled roofs, barrels and a pile of shot below it.

No artist or engraver is named under the image. Below the caption the plate carries the house imprint, Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Inst. in Hildbh. at the lower left and Eigenthum d. Verleger at the lower right. The first is the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen, the second reads "property of the publishers." A roman plate number is engraved at the top right.

The sheet comes from a dealer's album rather than from a bound set. Its 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. Messina stands on the Strait of Messina, the narrow channel between Sicily and the Italian mainland.

Handling soiling along the bottom and left edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Corners and edges are not shown by this scan. Clean, even paper tone in the margin. Several larger brown marks.

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