Artist: James Duffield Harding (1797–1863), after a sketch by Dr. Sinclair
Engraver: William Finden (1787–1852)
Technique: Original Antique Steel Engraving, Plate ninety two
Dimensions: Plate: 10.2x14.7 cm | Page: 15.6x23.4 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 antique steel engraving, published in 1836, captures a historic panoramic view of the Island of Patmos, Greece. Located in the Aegean Sea, the island holds immense biblical importance as the place of exile for the Apostle John, where he received the visions and authored the Book of Revelation, as cited on the lower border at Revelation chapter one, verse nine: "I John... was in the isle that is called Patmos". The scene was executed by the prominent British landscape artist James Duffield Harding, adapting an accurate on-the-spot field study by traveler Dr. Sinclair.
Engraved by William Finden, the composition features the rugged, rolling mountainous terrain of the island, leading up to the prominent historic hilltop settlement and the fortified Monastery of Saint John the Theologian anchoring the summit. The middle ground reveals the coastal harbor area with small sailboats moored near shoreline stone buildings. The foreground is richly populated with regional Greek figures in traditional attire traveling on horseback and resting along a winding, rocky hillside path. This plate originates from volume two of the publication Landscape Illustrations of the Bible.
About the Artists:
James Duffield Harding (1797–1863): A major British landscape painter, lithographer, and teacher celebrated for his technical architectural drafting skills and work alongside John Ruskin.
Dr. Sinclair (Active 1830s): A British traveler and naval surgeon whose sketches of the Mediterranean islands provided key topographical documentation for early nineteenth-century travel publications.
William Finden (1787–1852): A master London line engraver famed for his exceptional fine-line precision on steel plates for top-tier illustrated books.