Artist: Clarkson Stanfield (1793–1867), after an on-the-spot field sketch
Engraver: William Finden (1787–1852)
Technique: Original Antique Steel Engraving
Dimensions: 15x23 cm
Status: Authentic 1836 print, explicit text attribution on the lower plate border
Publisher: John Murray, London (Sold also by Charles Tilt)
About the Artwork:
This authentic 1836 steel engraving showcases the dramatic ruins of Sardis (modern-day Turkey), historically recognized as one of the Seven Churches of Asia from the Book of Revelation. The scene was rendered by the prominent British marine and landscape painter Clarkson Stanfield, utilizing an authentic field sketch drawn on-the-spot. Engraved onto steel by William Finden, the composition is dominated by two massive, upright colossal Ionic columns from the ancient Temple of Artemis. The foreground features scattered architectural fragments, a fallen capital, a local figure, and a startled horse, set against a backdrop of rugged mountain peaks under a stormy sky with stylized lightning. This plate is sourced from Landscape Illustrations of the Bible compiled by Thomas Hartwell Horne and the Finden brothers.
About the Artists:
Clarkson Stanfield (1793–1867): A celebrated English marine painter and Royal Academician, highly praised by John Ruskin for his accurate and dramatic depictions of natural and architectural elements.
William Finden (1787–1852): A master London line engraver who, alongside his brother Edward, produced some of the finest steel-plate illustrations of the 19th century.