The Leaning Tower of Zaragoza, Antique Spanish Street View, circa 1850

A street view in Zaragoza with its leaning tower, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption beneath the image reads DAS WUNDER VON SARAGOSSA, in English the wonder of Zaragoza.

The upright plate looks down a narrow street to a tall decorated brick tower with an octagonal upper stage and a spire, leaning visibly out of the upright under a stormy sky. Tall houses with balconies, hanging cloths and projecting eaves line both sides of the street, with figures on the balconies at the right. A cart carrying standing figures is in the roadway at the center, a crowd of people in cloaks and hats fills the street around it, and a dog lies on the paving at the lower left.

No artist or engraver is named on the sheet. Below the caption, the imprint at the left reads Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibl. Inst. 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 CCCLXXXIIII 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 leaning tower shown is the Torre Nueva of Zaragoza, which was demolished in 1892.

Marked handling soiling along the left, right 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. One larger brown mark.

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