The Rock of Gibraltar, Antique View from the Shore with Boats, circa 1850

A view of the Rock of Gibraltar from across the water, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption beneath the image reads GIBRALTAR, the British territory at the southern tip of Spain.

The rock rises in a single steep mass at the center under heaped clouds, with the town and long low buildings strung along its foot and smoke drifting up at the right. Sailing boats run before the wind on a choppy sea at the left, with more vessels on the horizon. In the right foreground a group of men work at a boat drawn up on the beach, loading bales, while beached boats, a boat with a small cabin, baskets and a sack lie on the sand around them. Two gulls fly low over the water in the foreground.

No artist or engraver is named on the sheet. Below the caption, the imprint at the left reads Aus d. Kunstanstalt d. Bibliogr. 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 LXXXXVII 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. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

Handling soiling along the right and top edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin. Corners and edges are not shown by this scan. Clean, even paper tone in the margin. Several larger brown marks.

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