STRAITS ROCK OF GIBRALTAR Mediterranean Sea Boat Ship ~ 1843 Art Print Engraving

Description: GIBRALTAR FROM THE SEA Artist: C. Bentley ____________ Engraver: J. C. Armytage Note: the title in the table above is printed below the engraving CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE ANTIQUE VIEWS OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE LIKE THIS ONE!! AN ANTIQUE STEEL ENGRAVING MADE IN THE EARLY 1840s !! ITEM IS OVER 150 YEARS OLD! VERY OLD WORLD! INCREDIBLE DETAIL! Gibraltar is a British crown colony 2.5 sq mi (6.5 sq km), on a narrow, rocky peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea from SW Spain. Most of the peninsula is occupied by the Rock of Gibraltar. (Lat. Calpe), one of the Pillars of Hercules, which guards the northeastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar, linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. The town of Gibraltar lies at the northwest end of the Rock of Gibraltar. The peninsula is connected with the mainland by a low sandy area of neutral ground. West of the peninsula is the Bay of Gibraltar, an inlet of the strait. There is a safe enclosed harbor of 440 acres (178 hectares). The rock, of Jurassic limestone, contains caves in which valuable archaeological finds have been made. It is honeycombed by defense works and arsenals, which are largely concealed. A tunnel bisects the rock from east to west. The town is a free port, with some transit trade. The climate is mild and pleasant, and tourism has become an important industry. During the many years that Gibraltar was a British fortress, most of the area was taken up by military installations, and the civilian population was kept small. Many of the laborers lived in the Spanish border town of La Línea. The population is mostly of English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or Maltese descent. Nearly three quarters of the population is Roman Catholic, and there are Protestant, Muslim, and Jewish minorities. English is the official language. The name Gibraltar derives from the Arabic Jabal-al-Tarik [mount of Tarik], dating from the capture (711) of the peninsula by the Moorish leader Tarik. The Spanish Held the peninsula (1309-33) but did not definitively recover it from the Moors until 1462. The English have maintained possession since 1704 despite continual Spanish claims. The British post was besieged unsuccessfully by the Spanish and French (1704), by the Spanish (1726), and again by the Spanish and French (1779-83). In World War I, Gibraltar served as a naval station. Many refugees fled there in the Spanish civil war (1936-39). In World War II its fortifications were strengthened, and most of the civilian population was evacuated. It was frequently bombed in 1940-41, but not seriously damaged. FROM THE ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: Gibraltar is reached in five days from Southampton, and it is the first place where the steamer stops to take in coals-anchoring under the far-famed rock. The approach to it, by the straits, opens out, in fine weather, magnificent scenery. The Straits of Gibraltar are fifteen miles long, and about seven broad. On one side is Mount Abyle; on the other, Caipe, or " the Bock of Gibraltar"--two proud eminences, once united, as classic legends tell, till Hercules cleft them asunder, to open a passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; and even to this day, they are called the " Pillars of Hercules." Gaipe from Calp, which, in the ancient Phoenician tongue, signified a "carved mountain") is a promontory about three miles long, from north to south, and from half to three-quarters of a mile across, from east to west. An isthmus of sand-connects it with the continent, the rock itself being composed of grey limestone or marble, and containing numerous caves. This rock rises nearly 1,500 feet above the sea, on every side except the west, which shelves down to the bay; and on that side the town is built. It consists merely of two or three long streets, running parallel with the sea-wall; and these streets are intersected by narrow lanes, conveyed up the side of the rock by steps-which are very unpleasant to climb on a hot day. The town was originally founded by a Moor, named Tarik or Tarif; hence its name, Gib-el-Tarik, " Mountain of Tarik." It is defended on all sides where access is possible, and constitutes one of the strongest, if not the strongest, fortress in the world. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Charles Bentley (b London, 1805-6; d London, 4 Sept 1854) was an English painter and engraver. The son of a carpenter in Tottenham Court Road, London, he was apprenticed as an engraver to Theodore Henry Adolphus Fielding and while working for him engraved a number of Richard Parkes Bonington's watercolours. These profoundly influenced his own development, and echoes of Bonington and Copley Fielding (Theodore's brother) can be found in most of his works. He became a close friend of William Callow, with whom he made a number of sketching tours to the Normandy coast and Paris. He also travelled throughout the British Isles. Bentley never exhibited at the Royal Academy but showed 209 works at the Old Water-Colour Society between 1834 and 1854 and also at Suffolk Street. He died from cholera at 11 Mornington Place, Hampstead, leaving his widow possessions valued at £300. SIZE: Image size is 5 inches by 7 1/2 inches. Print size is 7 inches by 10 inches. CONDITION: Condition is excellent. Bright and clean. Blank on reverse. SHIPPING: Buyers to pay shipping/handling, domestic orders receives priority mail, international orders receive regular mail. We pack properly to protect your item! Please note: the terms used in our auctions for engraving, heliogravure, lithograph, print, plate, photogravure etc. are ALL prints on paper, NOT blocks of steel or wood. "ENGRAVINGS", the term commonly used for these paper prints, were the most common method in the 1700s and 1800s for illustrating old books, and these paper prints or "engravings" were inserted into the book with a tissue guard frontis, usually on much thicker quality rag stock paper, although many were also printed and issued as loose stand alone prints. So this auction is for an antique paper print(s), probably from an old book, of very high quality and usually on very thick rag stock paper. EXTREMELY RARE IN THIS EXCELLENT CONDITION! Powered by eBay Turbo Lister The free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items.

Price: 7.99 USD

Location: New Providence, New Jersey

End Time: 2025-01-19T17:36:59.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7.95 USD