Grand Ducal Castle, Schwerin, Mecklenburg, Antique Engraving, circa 1880

A view of the Grand Ducal Castle at Schwerin seen across the water, a fairy-tale building of towers, turrets, domes and pinnacles rising above a stone embankment and balustraded terrace. The varied roofline, with conical spires, a gilded dome and an equestrian figure at the top, dominates the composition, while bare trees and shrubs soften the foreground.

At right an arcaded loggia opens onto the water, and a grand staircase sweeps up from the garden terrace to the main building. The calm water in the foreground reflects the embankment, and a sky of light cloud sets off the dense architecture.

Schwerin Castle stands on an island in the lake at Schwerin, the old capital of the grand duchy of Mecklenburg, and was rebuilt in the middle of the nineteenth century in a lavish historicist style inspired by the French Renaissance châteaux of the Loire. The print is captioned "GRAND-DUCAL CASTLE. SCHWERIN." in letterpress beneath the image.

This is a wood engraving, printed with its caption as a book or periodical illustration. The engraver has used close, even lines to model the many facets of the building and lighter cutting for the sky, giving a clear and orderly image of a very complicated piece of architecture, with every window and turret distinct.

A good piece for anyone who loves castles or German history, it would sit nicely on a bookcase wall or in a child's room, framed in black.

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