After Myles Birket Foster, Bridge of Gondo, Simplon Pass, 1878, Engraving

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Description

A mountain road cuts through a sheer gorge, carried over a rushing torrent on a single stone arch before it … Read more A mountain road cuts through a sheer gorge, carried over a rushing torrent on a single stone arch before it disappears into a tunnel bored through the rock. Travelers cross the bridge above, and on the road in the foreground a mule train makes its way along: a loaded pack mule in the lead, another carrying baskets, a man leading a laden animal and a woman riding a mule, followed by goats and a dog. A toppled cart lies at the left beside the guard stones on the road's edge. The rock wall towers over everything, scattered with clinging pines, and a thin waterfall streams down the cliff at the right. The gondo gorge lies on the simplon road between switzerland and italy, the route built across the alps under napoleon in the first years of the nineteenth century. The gondo gallery, a tunnel blasted through solid rock, was one of the engineering wonders of the road and a favorite stop for travelers. The lettering credits birket foster as the painter and j. Stephenson as the engraver; the title is engraved in copperplate script with the imprint cassell, petter and galpin, the london publisher, below. This upright steel engraving makes the most of the gorge's height. The engraver models the cliff face with an intricate web of lines, sets the pale arch of the bridge against the dark tunnel mouth and shows the foaming water racing beneath it. Alpine travelers and admirers of mountain roads will enjoy this; hang it on a tall, narrow wall in a study or a chalet-style room, in a plain dark frame. Condition: light age toning; light handling soiling along the edges and a few small spots in the margins. Printed image 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. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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