The Golden Tower, Seville, Antique View on the Guadalquivir, circa 1850

A view of the Torre del Oro on the Guadalquivir at Seville, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption beneath the image reads DER GOLDNE THURM / in Sevilla, in English the Golden Tower in Seville.

The tall many-sided tower with its lantern stands to the right of center against a pale sky, with masted ships moored along the quay behind it and domes and towers of the city beyond at the right. Buildings with a bell tower line the left bank, and a sailing boat with a lateen sail crosses the broad calm river at the center, with more shipping in the distance. Gulls fly low over the water in the left foreground, and at the right fishermen are hauling a boat up the near bank beside a group of posts, with baskets and a seated figure on the shore.

The engraver's credit at the lower right reads H. Herzer sculp: (engraved by H. Herzer). Below the caption, the imprint at the left reads Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Instit. in Hildbh. (from the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen), and at the right Eigenthum d. Verleger (property of the publishers). The plate number CLXVIII is engraved at the top right, above the image.

The 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. The sheet comes from a dealer's album rather than from a bound set. The Torre del Oro was built under Almohad rule in the thirteenth century.

Handling soiling along the bottom, left 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.

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