Cetara on the Bay of Salerno, Antique Coastal View by Martini, 1847

This is a view of Cetara on the Bay of Salerno, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, 1847. The caption reads CETARA with (Bay von Salerno) beneath it, German for Cetara on the Bay of Salerno.

A massive round watchtower with a square upper stage rises on the rocks at the right, a walled path running off behind it over the headland. The village with an arcaded house and a domed church lies at the water's edge at the center, under a steep peak at the left and snow covered mountains in the far distance. A boat with a large lateen sail runs in at the left of center, and in the foreground a rowing boat with a canopy at one end is pulled across the choppy water by several oarsmen.

The engraver's signature, ending Martini 1847, is engraved in script at the lower right just below the image, so this sheet carries its own date; the initials before the name cannot be read with certainty. Below the caption the plate carries the house imprint, Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibl. 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." The plate number DLXXVIIII 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. Cetara is a fishing village on the Amalfi coast, long known for its anchovies.

Handling soiling along the top edge. Scattered light foxing 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.