Huis ten Bosch near The Hague, Hand Colored Engraving by S. Porter, c. 1810

A hand colored engraving of Huis ten Bosch, the royal palace in the woods near The Hague, lettered "House in the Wood near the Hague".

The palace stands across a wide green lawn, its central block crowned by a blue dome and a carved pediment, with lower wings stretching away to the left. Great trees in autumn colors frame the right side, a small figure in a red cloak walks before the steps, and soft white clouds drift across a pale blue sky. The coloring is delicate and even, in the manner of English topographical prints of the early nineteenth century.

The plate is lettered "S. Rawle del." and "S. Porter sculp.", with the title "House in the Wood near the Hague". It carries no publisher's line or date. Samuel Rawle, who drew the view, worked as a topographical draughtsman and engraver in London and engraved for the European Magazine from 1798. On that evidence and the style of the plate, the date is given as circa 1810.

Huis ten Bosch was built in the 1640s for Amalia van Solms, widow of Prince Frederick Henry of Orange, and its domed Oranjezaal is one of the great Dutch interiors of the seventeenth century. It is today a residence of the Dutch royal family.

A charming colored view for a bedroom or sitting room, and a fine piece for anyone with a link to The Hague. The engraved image measures about 11.7 by 18.1 cm (height by width), and the margins around it carry all the original lettering, which is worth keeping visible in the mat.

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