This 1846 original lithographic engraving after Théodore Du Moncel depicts the Ruins of Tiryns (Ruines de Tirynthe), one of the major archaeological sites of ancient Greece, and forms part of the important publication Athènes monumentale et pittoresque. Produced during a period of intense European fascination with classical antiquity, the series sought to document Greece’s historic monuments and landscapes for an audience eager to rediscover the cradle of Western civilization.
The composition presents the Mycenaean site within a broad, open landscape animated by travelers, horsemen, and local figures. These human elements, drawn by H. de Rossi, provide scale and narrative while reflecting nineteenth-century Romantic travel imagery. The distant ruins evoke the massive cyclopean masonry for which Tiryns is renowned, associated in classical mythology with heroes such as Heracles.
The lithograph was executed by Théodore Du Moncel and published in London by E. Gambart, Junin & Cie, a prominent nineteenth-century print publisher known for disseminating high-quality artistic reproductions and travel views across Europe. Such prints played a key role in shaping scholarly and popular perceptions of Greece before modern archaeological photography became widespread.
Today, this engraving is appreciated both for its artistic refinement and documentary value. It captures an early European visual interpretation of the ancient site of Tiryns, blending archaeological curiosity, Romantic landscape aesthetics, and the rich cultural imagination surrounding classical Greece.
Engraving
Architecture - Greece
Monumental and Picturesque Athens. Lithograph by Th. Du Moncel. Illustration by H. de Rossi - London published by E. Gambart Junin & Cie - Victor Delarue & Cie
Printed by Auguste Bry in Paris
Good condition, slight soiling
Sign up & benefit from discounts or exclusive offers.