The Monastery Palace of Mafra, Portugal, Antique Architectural View, circa 1850

A view of the monastery palace of Mafra, northwest of Lisbon, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption beneath the image reads KLOSTER MAFRA / in Portugal., in English Mafra monastery in Portugal.

The whole front of the building is set out across the plate: the basilica with its two bell towers and dome at the center above a broad flight of steps, and long ranges running out to domed corner pavilions at each end. A wide open square fills the foreground, with small groups of figures standing and walking and a group of horsemen at the right. A heavy clouded sky rises above the roofline, and trees show at the far left and right.

The artist's credit at the lower left reads Gez. v. C. Reiss. (drawn by C. Reiss). 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 der Verleger (property of the publishers). The plate number CCCCXVII 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 palace and monastery of Mafra were built for King John V in the eighteenth century.

Handling soiling along the top edge. 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.