Cathedral Gateway, Chur, Antique Steel Engraving after S. Hodson, circa 1876

An old monk in a dark habit, leaning on a stick, bends kindly over a small girl in this upright steel engraving, as they stand just inside a churchyard gate. The gateway is flanked by two weathered stone piers carrying carved figures of saints and crouching beasts, and a wrought iron gate stands half open beneath a tall arch of ironwork topped by a cross. Behind them lie grave markers under a small wooden roof and the massive stone wall of the church, while a leafy tree spreads over the left side. Two pigeons peck on the path.

The plate is lettered "Gateway of the Cathedral, Coire." Coire is the French name of Chur, the capital of the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland and one of the oldest towns in the country, whose cathedral stands on a terrace above the old town. The drawing is credited to S. Hodson, and the artist's signature with the date 1876 can be seen in the lower left of the image. It was engraved by C. Goodeve and carries the imprint of Cassell, Petter & Galpin of London.

The technique is steel engraving, printed in black ink on wove paper and uncolored. Goodeve's lines give the stone sculpture a rough, time-worn texture and contrast it with the delicate tracery of the ironwork, and the light falling on the path draws the eye to the two figures.

With its gentle human story, it would sit well in a study, a hallway or a guest room, framed in a slim black or dark walnut molding with a cream mat.

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