Antique engravings - American?

Hi all, I’d appreciate your help to ID and date these two engravings. The back of one says American but no detail. They are in antique frames and mounts that I’m thinking look 19thC? One engraving has what looks like hand colouring on the people and their dress looks Georgian to my eye. The engravings are 18cm x 12cm each and frames 32cm x 27cm. Many thanks.

 

you mean engravings ?
you'll have to pop the frames and look under the mat to see if it's hiding any writing..

 

Yes indeed, I’ve updated to engravings thanks.
I’m trying to avoid taking the nails out but will if I can’t ID another way.

 

You should 100% take the nails out because that cardboard needs to come out asap. It (and the mats) will cause the piece to yellow and become brittle. They need to be replaced with acid-free mats and backing.

 

Thanks, fortunately they’re in great condition (so far) and I’d be sad to lose the original coloured mount but yes I do understand…I’ve paid to repair other pieces but they were already stained.

 

Scenery does, of course, look American but something about the scene in general doesn't. Costumes perhaps.

Debora

 

I agree with Debora on the costumes. The headwear on the 2 men in particular and the "backpack?" that the person on the left (woman I suspect) is carrying, both look more European to me.

 

https://www.antiquemapsandprints.co...e-vintage-print-picture/P-6-004718~P-6-004718

https://www.amazon.de/Deutschland-Wasserfälle-Rofflen-Tombleson-Vintagedruck/dp/B0042Q9GOE

Both after paintings by William Tombleson (1795-1846). Both images of the Rofflen (Rofla) Gorge in Canton Graubünden (Grisons) in Switzerland.

 

I just love some seller's descriptions. When in doubt write...

"OLD ANTIQUE VINTAGE PRINT PICTURE"

... and then, with a sigh of relief, think "There. That covers it."

Debra

 

Many thanks all, that’s great to learn. I wonder if these were framed when first printed around 1830? Certainly look 19thC to me but any other clues?

 

Brilliant, many thanks. I think they’re prints from engravings not paintings but still art Wonder how many sets were released and who did the hand colouring? I’ll keep researching.

 

You'll want to compare the dimensions of yours with this. Wonder if originally a book plate (which could explain the low values on internet.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3530730562...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Debora

 

Here's another on offer.

https://www.abebooks.com/Rofflensch...ucht-Gesamtansicht-View-Tunnel/30553905487/bd

Debora

 

Debora has already shown that it's not America. Another clue is that for those mountains, it'd have to be in the Rocky Mountains if the USA, and that far back, there wouldn't likely be stone bridges as appears in one of the images. Much more likely any bridges would be fairly new, and made of wood, like a trestle.

 

Many thanks @Debora yes I’m thinking maybe book plates or mass produced at the time.

 

I’ve managed to get the German translated - will have to see if mine has the same text. Looks like an English artist and printed in London.

 

Yours have been trimmed to fit the frames, so they've lost the credits, titles, and plate mark. This will hurt the value.

Engravings were often made as copies of existing paintings. That's what is meant by "after a painting". In this case, I don't know if Tombleson produced a finished painting, or just produced a drawing for the engraver to work from. The person primarily responsible for this engraving was "A. Gruse", but I'm finding no further info about him.

 

Ac

I won’t know if that’s the case until I take the back off - the frames are large enough for the whole sheet and there’s a mount that’s at least 26cm x 20cm (bigger than the sheet size quoted above) so that could be covering any text.
Yes seems there were several engravers that worked on Tombleson pieces for him. Apparently they worked from his drawings. He then published them it appears.

 

Ok so I’ve taken the back off the waterfall one and it has the title in English only - not the three languages nor other info the Amazon listed one above has. Has the usual impressed margins around the work I’d expect to see from an original print though. I suspect @Debora is right and it’s a plate from a book or some other publication.