STEEL ENGRAVING – “CHRISTIANA AT THE HOUSE OF GAIUS” from the original painting by Sir John Gilbert, engraved by J.C. Armytage, published in 1878.  This engraving is in very good condition.  The engraving measures 6 5/8” x 10 ¼”, and is matted to 11” x 14” for easy framing.

     Bunyan’s wonderful allegory, “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” supplies a countless number of scenes well suited for pictorial representation.  The grand old dreamer might perhaps have looked upon pictorial art as one of the abominations of the evil one, and could certainly never have expected his work to furnish generations of artists with subjects on which to exercise their genius.  The scene chosen by Sir John Gilbert is the entertainment given to Christiana and her fellow pilgrims by Gaius.  They are at supper, and a dish of apples being presented, Matthew asks if it is right to eat such fruit, as it was with an apple that the Serpent beguiled our first mother.  But Gaius removes his doubt by saying that it is by sin, not apples, we are defiled, and that the fruit is good and wholesome food.  The great excellence in this picture, it will be noted, is the striking beauty and delicacy of the heads of the various persons represented, and in the expressions given to the faces.  Gaius is standing, in the act of addressing his guests, and opposite him sit Great-Heart, still wearing his armor, and Old Honest.  Beside the matron Christiana is Mercy, her arms meekly folded, and by her Matthew, her future husband, who has asked the question concerning the apples.  The two boys, Joseph and Samuel, complete the group.

    Sir John Gilbert was born in 1817, and in 1836 exhibited his first picture, a watercolor drawing.  He is well known as a book illustrator, and has contributed to the Illustrated London News some of the finest wood engravings, which have appeared in that journal.  He was elected President of the British Society of Painters in Watercolors in 1871, and shortly afterwards received the honor of knighthood.

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, and lithographs 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, thus giving the buyer an idea of its age.

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