WYCLIFFE, NEAR ROKEBY.

     Sir Walter Scott, in his poem “Rokeby,” has made his readers acquainted with much of the scenery of this picturesque corner of Yorkshire: but a very special interest is associated with the village, or hamlet, of Wycliffe, situated between two and three miles from Greta Bridge, and about five from Barnard Castle, for there born, in 1334, John de Wycliffe, the “Morning Star of the Reformation,” and one of the earliest translators of the Bible, many of whose descendants and family were buried in the church of the parish. In the rectory-house there is kept as an heirloom and portrait of the great reformer, assumed to have been painted by Sir Anthony More, though this painter did not come to England till more than a century and a half posterior to Wyclifee’s death.

    The engraving here introduced is from one of the numerous drawings made by Turner about half a century ago, for his series of Yorkshire views. The scene seems to have been sketched from one of the banks of the “restless Greta,” which winds its way with rapidity through this lovely valley, and at every turn discloses some fresh point of picturesque beauty. On the high ground in the distance is Wycliffe Hall, standing in a park embellished with masses of grand old trees that give the sun descending behind it, and throwing long shadows form the trees on the greensward. In the foreground, which consists of a succession of large grey boulders, are some women driving homewards a flock of geese, and a wagon and horses, whose driver is lifting a female from the vehicle. Through the vista of trees on the right a portion of a cottage is visible. The composition is a sweet bit of scenery treated with the painter’s fine poetic feeling.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, etchings, engravings, and lithographs are printing processes which use steel, copper, stone or wood blocks or plates to produce a picture on paper.

Most antique prints and engravings, which are seen on the internet today, are bookplates.  Because they are pages from a book, there are multiple copies in existence.  This does not, however, mean that they are "reproductions" that have been printed recently.  Because they were, at some point, part of books, some have been preserved in excellent condition, while others show signs of age, as yellow spots or darkness on the edge of the page from being handled.

Engravings, lithographs, ect. are high quality pieces of art, as it took a highly trained artist many hours of work to produce one.  Although there may be multiple copies still in existence, the date of the item should be stated in the auction, thus giving the buyer an idea of it's age.

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