After Metz, Seraglio at Constantinople, Topkapi Palace, 1820, Engraving

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This antique engraving of the Seraglio at Constantinople, the Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman sultans, is an original early nineteenth … Read more This antique engraving of the Seraglio at Constantinople, the Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman sultans, is an original early nineteenth century London engraving, circa 1815 to 1830, drawn by an artist lettered Metz and engraved by an engraver lettered Angus. The plate is lettered "The Seraglio at Constantinople" and carries no publisher's imprint. The view looks across the water to the walls, domes and towers of the palace on its point above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, with a sailing ship and light caiques in the foreground. The Seraglio was a source of endless fascination to European readers, a closed world of court and harem that travellers could see only from outside, and views such as this one appeared in many geographies and books of travel. The names on the plate are probably those of Conrad Martin Metz, a German born draughtsman working in London, and William Angus, an engraver known for small topographical plates, though neither is identified in full. The plate is in the style of the Kelly plates in this group, and it is probably from a London geography or collection of travels, but without an imprint the publication cannot be named with confidence and it is described here simply as an early nineteenth century London engraving. The print is an uncoloured line engraving with good detail in the architecture and the rigging of the ship. It is an attractive early view of Istanbul and the Ottoman court, and it would suit a collector of Ottoman and Levantine views or a room with an eastern theme, framed simply in dark wood or gilt. The sheet is in good condition for its age, with toning, a light stain in the upper margin and scattered small spots in the margins; the image is clean. This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed. See less