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

A street in Bruges leads the eye to the massive tower of the cathedral, which rises above the gabled houses and fills the upper half of the picture. The tower, with its corner turrets and pinnacled crown, stands against a pale blue sky with drifting clouds, and the steep roof and Gothic gable of the church lie below it.

The street is full of daily life. Red awnings shade the shopfronts on the left, a leafy tree grows at the center, and a farm cart with red wheels is being drawn along the cobbles. Townspeople walk in both directions, among them women in red and blue skirts and a man in a long coat, while tall poles lean against the house fronts at right.

The plate credits the painting to E. George and the engraving to T. Heawood, with the title The Cathedral, Bruges, and the imprint of Cassell, Petter and Galpin of London. The church shown is Saint Salvator's, which became the cathedral of Bruges in the nineteenth century and whose tower is one of the landmarks of the medieval city.

It is a steel engraving with hand coloring in soft blues, greens and warm reds, applied with restraint so that the engraved line still carries the drawing. The warm sunlight on the tower and the shaded street below give the scene depth.

The touch of color makes it a lively piece for a kitchen, a breakfast room or a guest bedroom, and it would look well with an ivory mat.

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