Grand Canal, Venice, Antique View with Gondolas, Trilingual Plate, circa 1850

This is a view of the Grand Canal in Venice, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The sheet is captioned in three languages: LE GRAND-CANAL DE VENISE. in French at the center, A' NAGY CSATORNÁN VELENCZÉBEN. in Hungarian at the left and AUF DEM GROSSEN CANAL IN VENEDIG. in German at the right, all meaning on the Grand Canal in Venice.

The canal runs straight away from the viewer between tall palace fronts with balconies, awnings and washing hung from the windows, toward a campanile and a palace at the far end. Gondolas, many with striped covers, crowd the water. In the left foreground several moored gondolas lie under a high carved prow, with a seated woman and a man in a cloak, and at the right a gondolier stands to the oar beside a covered boat.

The engraver's credit Stahlstich von Fried. Geissler. Nbg. is engraved in script at the lower right below the image, German for steel engraving by Fried. Geissler, Nuremberg. A faint script credit at the lower left is too worn to transcribe. The roman numeral II is engraved at the top right. No publisher's imprint appears on the sheet.

The sheet comes from a dealer's album rather than from a bound set. The captions in French, Hungarian and German are the only indication of its source, and the sheet names no publisher.

Loss or wear at the bottom left and top left corners. A deeper irregularity along the left edge. Even age toning. Small light flecks in the printed area, to be checked by eye.

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