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Ancient View of Arnheim - Original lithograph - Mid-19th Century

Mid-19th Century

Ancient View of Arnheim is an original modern artwork realized in Italy in the first half of the 19th Century. Original Lithograph on Ivory Paper. Inscripted on the lower margin ...

Ancient View of Upsala is an original modern artwork realized in Germany in the Mid-19th Century. Original B/W Lithograph on Ivory Paper. Inscripted on the lower central margin in...

Antique print titled 'Rheineck. Canton St. Gallen'. View of Rheineck in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. This print originates from 'Tombleson's Upper Rhine', published 1832.

This hand-colored aquatint is a topographical view of Djursholm Castle in Danderyd, Sweden, and it is a part of Ulrik Thersner's ambitious project, "Fordna och närvarande Sverige" (Antiquity and Present Sweden). This work aimed to be a modern counterpart to Erik Dahlbergh's "Suecia antiqua et hodierna," a significant 17th-century work that showcased Sweden's historical and contemporary landscapes, buildings, and monuments through engravings. Ulrik Thersner's endeavor in creating "Fordna och närvarande Sverige" involved drawing several mansions, among other subjects, and began publishing these works in 1817. The technique used, aquatint, is a form of etching that allows for the creation of images with tonal variations, resembling watercolor paintings, which makes it particularly suited for detailed and atmospheric topographical representations like the one of Djursholm Castle. Carl Fredrik Akrell, a notable engraver, worked on engraving Thersner's images, which were then executed in aquatint, a process that allows for a rich gradation of tones and a painterly quality. Wilhelm Maximilian Carpelan later joined the publication effort, indicating a collaborative process in bringing Thersner's vision to fruition. The parts of the series were published over a period, with Skåne completed in 1823, and the regions of Östergötland, Uppland, and Södermanland addressed in the years 1820 and 1824-25. Thersner's personal involvement in writing the text for the pictures underlines the detailed and scholarly approach taken in producing this series. Thersner's "Fordna och närvarande Sverige" would have been an invaluable contribution to the documentation of Swedish cultural heritage and landscape during the early 19th century, providing a vivid pictorial record that would have appealed to both the scholarly community and the general public interested in the country's history and geography. The print of Djursholm Castle that you are referring to would be a part of this important series. More about the maker: Ulrik Thersner was a multifaceted individual, having an impactful military career alongside his work as a draftsman and topographer. Born on April 2, 1779, in Kyrkslätt parish in Finland, Thersner began his military service early, becoming a ship's boy in the Swedish navy at the tender age of seven. His naval service during Gustav III's Russian War...