Pisa, Antique Italian River View with a Loggia Palace, circa 1850

This is a view of Pisa, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption is lettered simply PISA in open capitals below the image.

A broad river runs through the center of the plate to a bridge of three arches, with a tall pointed campanile and towered houses on the left bank and a hill crowned by a fortress at the right. At the right a pale palace with an open arched loggia and a balustraded balcony rises over the quay, where townspeople in local dress stand and sit near the water. Rowing boats and a moored line of barges crowd the stream, and at the far left tall houses with wooden galleries overhang the water.

No artist or engraver is named under the image. Below the caption the plate carries the house imprint, Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Instit. in Hildbh. at the lower left and Eigenthum der Verleger at the lower right. The first is the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen, the second reads "property of the publishers." A roman plate number is engraved at the top right.

The sheet comes from a dealer's album rather than from a bound set. Its 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. Pisa stands on the river Arno a few miles from the sea.

Handling soiling along the right 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. Several larger brown marks.

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