Chapel of Mount Calvary, Jerusalem, Antique Aquatint by Mayer, 1810

An original antique aquatint with original hand color, published in London in 1810, after a drawing by Luigi Mayer. The caption reads "CHAPEL OF MOUNT CALVARY.", the chapel on the site of the Crucifixion.

A long stone chamber under a barrel vault leads to a deep round arch at the far end, where an altar stands before a tall rack of lighted candles. A single lamp is suspended on a cord from the vault. Pilgrims kneel before the altar and a row of men in long robes stands beside it. In the foreground two large tombs with pitched tops stand at either side. A man in a long robe stands at the left with his back to the viewer, a bearded man kneels in the center with his hands raised in prayer, and two men stand together against the wall at the right.

The caption is engraved in open capitals below the image, and the imprint beneath it names R. Bowyer at 80 Pall Mall and the year 1810. No artist or engraver is named on the plate; the aquatints in this book are unsigned and are probably the work of William Watts.

The plate belongs to Views in the Ottoman Dominions, in Europe, in Asia, and some of the Mediterranean Islands, from the original drawings taken for Sir Robert Ainslie by Luigi Mayer, printed by T. Bensley for R. Bowyer in London in 1810 with 71 hand colored aquatint plates (Abbey, Travel II, 371; Tooley 321). Luigi Mayer (1755 to 1803) was an Italian born artist who worked in the Ottoman Empire for Sir Robert Ainslie, British ambassador at Constantinople from 1776 to 1792. The chapel of Calvary is within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Light uneven toning, browner towards the edges. Handling soiling along the top edge. Foxing over much of the margin. Slight wear at the bottom left corner. Several larger brown marks.

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