Ponte Grande, Ottoman Arched Bridge, Antique Aquatint by Mayer, 1809

An original antique aquatint with original hand color, published in London in 1809, after a drawing by Luigi Mayer. The caption reads "PONTE GRANDE.", Italian for great bridge.

A long stone bridge of pointed arches crosses a river from the left, rising and falling in a series of humped sections toward a town on the far shore at the right. A square tower stands at the near end, and small figures and pack animals move along the top of the bridge. A sailing boat with a tall yard lies in the river below the arches. In the foreground a road runs along the bank: a covered wagon drawn by teams of oxen comes from the right, followed by more wagons in the distance, a loaded camel and a man on a donkey walk beside it, and a horseman rides toward the left. Three figures stand at the water's edge, and a large tree stands at the right side of the view.

The caption is engraved in open capitals below the image, and the imprint beneath it names R. Bowyer at 80 Pall Mall and the year 1809. No artist or engraver is named on the plate; the aquatints in this book are unsigned and are probably the work of William Watts.

The plate belongs to Views in the Ottoman Dominions, in Europe, in Asia, and some of the Mediterranean Islands, from the original drawings taken for Sir Robert Ainslie by Luigi Mayer, printed by T. Bensley for R. Bowyer in London in 1810 with 71 hand colored aquatint plates (Abbey, Travel II, 371; Tooley 321). Luigi Mayer (1755 to 1803) was an Italian born artist who worked in the Ottoman Empire for Sir Robert Ainslie, British ambassador at Constantinople from 1776 to 1792.

Even age toning. Marked handling soiling along the bottom edge. Scattered light foxing in the margin. All four corners complete. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the top. Several larger brown marks.

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