Stonehenge, Antique Steel Engraving with Resting Visitors, circa 1850

Stonehenge in Wiltshire, an original antique steel engraving with light hand coloring, circa 1850. The caption below the image reads STONEHENGE.

The great stones stand across the center of the plate under a heavy, clouded sky: tall uprights capped by lintels, a single massive stone in front of a trilithon, a leaning stone at the left and fallen blocks scattered over the turf. Small figures stand among the stones in the distance. In the foreground at the left a group of visitors sits on the grass while a boy stands beside a white sheep and a second dark animal, and at the right three men lounge on fallen stones. The sheet carries light washes of color, pink in a woman's dress and on the sheep and green in the plants of the foreground.

The plate is lettered at lower left, just below the image, "C. Reiss del." (drawn by C. Reiss). The imprint at lower left reads Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibl. Inst. in Hildbh. (from the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen), and at lower right Eigenthum der Verleger (property of the publishers). The plate number CCCCLXV is engraved at the top right.

The sheet comes from a dealer's album rather than from a bound set. Meyer's Universum was 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. Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

Loss or wear at the top left corner. A deeper irregularity along the left edge. Even age toning. Handling soiling along the right and top edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. One larger brown mark.

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