Town Hall, Halberstadt, Antique Steel Engraving after Carl Werner, circa 1885

A street corner in old Halberstadt, dominated by the Gothic Town Hall and its famous statue of Roland. The armored figure, sword raised and a shield bearing an eagle on his arm, stands against the massive stone corner of the building, while beside him a carved oriel window with a pointed roof juts out over an arched passage and an outside stair.

The square beyond is full of everyday life: a soldier stands at attention at left, women and children talk by the stair, a covered wagon rolls through the arch and a peddler with a basket crosses the cobbles. Half-timbered houses with steep, spired roofs close the view under a clear, bright sky.

Roland statues, symbols of civic rights and market freedom, stood in front of many town halls in northern Germany, and Halberstadt's Roland has guarded its Town Hall since the fifteenth century. The plate is lettered "Town Hall, Halberstadt." and credits the painter Carl Werner, the German watercolorist known for his architectural views, and the engraver F. Joubert. The imprint reads "Cassell & Company, Limited.", the name used by the London house of Cassell from the 1880s.

This is a steel engraving of great clarity. The stonework of the Town Hall is built up block by block, the carving of the oriel is rendered in crisp detail, and the long shadows across the paving give the scene a strong sense of sunlight.

An excellent choice for a lover of German towns or of medieval architecture, it suits a study or hallway in a black frame.

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