Cordoba, the Palace and Prisons of the Inquisition, Antique View, circa 1850

A riverside view at Cordoba in Andalusia, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption beneath the image reads CORDOVA / (Pallast und Gefængnisse der Inquisition), in English Cordoba (palace and prisons of the Inquisition).

A long range of buildings rises behind the river, with a massive round tower at the left of center, battlemented towers and a domed building on the skyline at the right, and a low arcade and a distant tower further left. At the right a ruined building with tall arched openings stands at the water's edge, with figures on the bank before it and a small boat on the water beyond. Cattle are watering in the shallows at the center, watched by two standing figures, a belt of trees runs along the far bank, and in the left foreground two men work at a boat drawn up on the near shore beside a seated figure.

No artist or engraver is named on the sheet. Below the caption, the imprint at the left reads Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Instit. in Hildbh. (from the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen), and at the right Eigenthum d. Verleger (property of the publishers). The plate number CXXIX 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. In Cordoba the tribunal of the Inquisition was housed in the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs beside the Guadalquivir.

Handling soiling along the left 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.