Court of the Lions, Alhambra - Original Van der Aa Engraving - 1715

Details

Description

Original copper engraving of the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra of Granada seen from one of the galleries, … Read more Original copper engraving of the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra of Granada seen from one of the galleries, with its forest of columns, the pavilions and the fountain beyond, and numerous figures among the arches. The caption reads "La Cour des Lions dans le Vieux Palais des Rois Mores à Grenade". The sheet bears the page number "105".

It is one of the earliest European views of the court, more than a century earlier than the romantic views that made the Alhambra known. As is typical of Van der Aa's prints, made from written descriptions rather than from life, the perspective takes some liberties with the actual architecture and should not be taken as a strictly accurate view. From Les délices de l'Espagne et du Portugal, published in Leiden by Pieter van der Aa.

Medium: Copper engraving
Engraver / lithographer: Pieter van der Aa (Leiden, 1659-1733)
Date: 1715
Source: Les délices de l'Espagne et du Portugal, Leiden, 1715
Dimensions: Plate mark 6.3 x 4.9 in (16 x 12.5 cm); sheet 7.4 x 6.1 in (18.7 x 15.6 cm)
Condition: Good condition; toned laid paper with the central binding fold, slight reddish marks at the edges and a crease at the lower left corner. See less