After W. H. Bartlett, Montreal, 1842, Paper

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This antique steel engraving of Montreal shows the city and Mount Royal seen from the Saint Lawrence River, with a … Read more This antique steel engraving of Montreal shows the city and Mount Royal seen from the Saint Lawrence River, with a timber raft manned by oarsmen in the foreground and square rigged ships lying off the waterfront. It was drawn by William Henry Bartlett and engraved by Charles Cousen for Canadian Scenery Illustrated, the celebrated book by Nathaniel Parker Willis published by George Virtue in London between 1840 and 1842. The plate is lettered "W. H. Bartlett", "C. Cousen" and "Montreal (from the St. Lawrence)", and it has been finished with later hand colour. Montreal, on an island in the Saint Lawrence, was the commercial capital of British North America when Bartlett visited in 1838. The engraving shows the long line of warehouses and houses along the river, a large twin towered church, probably Notre Dame, rising above them, and the wooded slopes of Mount Royal behind. In the foreground the heavy timber raft recalls the great trade in Canadian lumber that floated down the river to Quebec for shipment to Britain, while ocean going ships and a steamer mark the city's importance as a port. William Henry Bartlett was one of the most admired topographical artists of the nineteenth century, and his views of Canada, the United States, the Holy Land and Europe were engraved on steel by the leading engravers of the day. Canadian Scenery Illustrated contains more than one hundred plates after his drawings and remains one of the most important early visual records of Canada. Charles Cousen was a Yorkshire born engraver particularly skilled in landscape. The later hand colour adds warmth to the sails and figures while leaving the fine steel line clearly visible. This view of Montreal will appeal to collectors of Canadian history and of Bartlett's work, and would make a fine picture for a study, office or living room. The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, a few small marginal spots and a small nick to the left edge; 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