West Elevation of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, Engraving, 1776

An original antique copper engraving, uncolored, 1776, giving the west elevation of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The caption beneath the image reads "Orthographia Prospectus Occidentalis Templi Santæ Sophiæ Constantinopolitanæ.", the orthographic view of the west front of the church of Saint Sophia at Constantinople.

The building is drawn flat, without perspective or figures. The great central dome, ringed with arched windows and crowned by a crescent finial, rises above a smaller dome and a large arched lunette, with stepped buttress masses on either side. Two tall minarets with single balconies and crescent finials stand at the left and right. The long front below has a row of arched windows over a lower story of round and square openings and three doorways with pediments; at the outer ends parts of the structure are shown cut in section, and small domed pavilions close the composition at far left and right. A scale bar at lower right is numbered 1 to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 50 and lettered "Piedi Veneti ovvero 10 passi Geometrici:", Venetian feet, or 10 geometric paces.

The credit at lower left records that the drawing was made by an architect in 1772 (delineavit 1772). The engraver's credit at lower right reads "Christophorus ab Aqua Vicentinus Sculpsit 1776.", engraved by Cristoforo dall'Acqua of Vicenza in 1776. No publisher is lettered.

The engraver, Cristoforo dall'Acqua (1734 to 1787), was an Italian engraver from Vicenza. Hagia Sophia was built under the Emperor Justinian in 532 to 537 and served as a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, which is why the elevation shows minarets.

Light uneven toning, browner towards the edges. Foxing over much of the margin. Slight wear at the top left corner. Minor edge wear, shallow nicks along the left. Several larger brown marks.

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