Artist: William Henry Bartlett (1809–1854)
Engraver: Samuel Bradshaw (1810–1888)
Technique: Original Antique Steel Engraving
Dimensions: Plate: 12.7x19.2 cm | Page: 20.1x27.4 cm
Status: Authentic print published between eighteen thirty six and eighteen thirty eight, explicit text attributions on the lower border
Publisher: Fisher, Son & Co., London & Paris
About the Artwork:
This authentic antique steel engraving, published circa 1836, captures a romantic, atmospheric landscape titled Scene at the Village of Beit-Y-Ass, Near Suadeah (modern-day Samandağ, Hatay Province, Turkey). The view documents the picturesque historic range of mountains between Antioch (Antakya) and the ancient harbor of Seleucia Pieria (Suadeah). Masterfully drawn from nature by the prominent British illustrator William Henry Bartlett, the composition features the ancient village shrouded in dense native olive and mulberry groves. On the right, the ruins of a medieval church stand on a rocky outcrop, while a towering, monumental peak of Mount Casius anchors the distance. The scene is illuminated by full moonlight, throwing sharp, clear outlines across the mountain pass. In the foreground, a peaceful group of Armenian residents rests on a grassy bank, while a shepherd guides his flock of sheep along the pasture. Engraved onto steel with exceptional precision by Samuel Bradshaw, this plate originates from the publication Syria, The Holy Land, Asia Minor, &c. Illustrated.
About the Artists:
William Henry Bartlett (1809–1854): One of the most celebrated and prolific British topographical illustrators of the nineteenth century, famed for his highly accurate on-the-spot travel sketches of the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
Samuel Bradshaw (1810–1888): An accomplished English line and landscape engraver who achieved great recognition for his masterfully detailed steel plate renderings of architectural and Eastern vistas.