The Cathedral, Bruges, Antique Steel Engraving after E. George, circa 1878

A busy Bruges street leads the eye to the massive tower of the cathedral, which rises high above the rooftops at the center of the picture. The tower is built in stages, crowned with pinnacles and small turrets, and a high gabled transept with tall windows stands beside it. Tall stepped-gable houses line both sides of the street; on the right a shop sign reads "CROWN" and poles project from the facades, while on the left an awning shades a shopfront and a leafy tree spreads over the pavement. Townspeople walk and talk on the cobbles, and a horse-drawn cart moves toward the cathedral.

The cathedral of Bruges is St. Salvator's, whose tall west tower is a landmark of the old city. The lettering credits E. George as the painter (Ernest George, the English architect and artist, who drew many continental town views) and T. Heawood as the engraver. The title is engraved in a confident copperplate script, with the imprint Cassell, Petter and Galpin, the London publisher, beneath it.

This is a finely engraved steel plate in an upright format, and the engraver uses it to stress the height of the tower. The masonry is drawn with crisp detail, while the sky is laid in soft, even lines that set the tower off clearly.

Anyone who knows Bruges will enjoy this street view; it would hang well in an entrance hall or a narrow space beside a door, in a classic black and gold frame.

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