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Italian Renaissance Street Scenes — Set of 2 Decorative Engravings, ca.1880
$332.24per set
£247.76per set
€280per set
CA$462.46per set
A$496.32per set
CHF 266.05per set
MX$5,973.02per set
NOK 3,354.48per set
SEK 3,058.82per set
DKK 2,133.43per set
About the Item
Italian Renaissance Street Scenes c.1880 — Set of 2 Decorative Engravings
A beautifully matched pair of original c.1880 engravings published by Ernst Wasmuth A.-G., Berlin, illustrating lively street and courtyard scenes of Italy around the year 1500. These plates come from the scholarly and finely produced historical costume and culture series supervised by Max Tilke, known for its remarkable accuracy and artistic quality. Unlike the coloured costume plates in the same work, these two engravings focus on daily life, architecture, and social interaction during the Italian Renaissance, capturing the rich visual character of early modern Italian towns.
Plate 151 presents a bustling courtyard framed by heavy Renaissance arches and arcades. Noble figures, merchants, townspeople, and children animate the square, creating a vivid narrative of Italian life around 1500. In the background, rolling hills and fortified buildings place the scene firmly within the landscapes of Northern or Central Italy at the turn of the 16th century. The composition is panoramic, offering architectural detail, emotional expressions, and storytelling reminiscent of early Renaissance fresco cycles.
Plate 152 continues this theme, depicting a second Italian piazza filled with activity. Under wide columned arcades, groups gather in discussion and trade. At the centre, figures interact around horses, children play across the foreground, and behind them, a domed church anchors the scene architecturally. Small narrative details—a woman carrying goods, musicians, dogs, townsfolk leaning from windows—enrich the composition and reward close viewing. The engravings present a harmonious mix of daily life, costume reference, and Renaissance architectural forms that give the viewer a sense of stepping directly into a 1500 Italian town.
Together, these two plates form a coherent diptych: similar in scale, style, subject, and period, ideal for framing side-by-side. Their neutral, warm monochrome tones make them exceptionally versatile for interior decoration—equally suited to libraries, offices, hallways, or gallery walls. Collectors of Italian Renaissance art, architectural history, and 19th- to early-20th-century engravings will appreciate the blend of documentary detail and aesthetic refinement.
Condition: Good condition overall. Light toning to margins appropriate for age. Minor handling marks and faint foxing in the outer borders only. Image areas clean and evenly printed with strong plate impression.
Framing tips
These plates frame elegantly in black, dark walnut, or gold-accented mouldings. A wide off-white or cream mat enhances the architectural depth and draws attention to the fine engraving detail. As a diptych, they display best with matching frames and equal spacing.
Technique: Engraving
Maker: Ernst Wasmuth A.-G., Berlin, c.1880
- Dimensions:Height: 12.41 in (31.5 cm)Width: 9.26 in (23.5 cm)Depth: 0.01 in (0.2 mm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1880
- Condition:Condition: Good condition overall. Light toning to margins appropriate for age. Minor handling marks and faint foxing in the outer borders only. Image areas clean and evenly printed with strong plate impression.
- Seller Location:Langweer, NL
- Reference Number:Seller: BG-13129-151, -1521stDibs: LU3054347580762
About the Seller
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