Plaine d'Argos vue prise des hauteurs de Mycènes 1846

This 1846 original lithographic engraving after Théodore Du Moncel depicts the Plain of Argos seen from the Heights of Mycenae (Plaine d’Argos vue prise des hauteurs de Mycènes), and belongs to the celebrated publication Athènes monumentale et pittoresque. Produced during the nineteenth century’s renewed European fascination with classical Greece, the series aimed to document the landscapes, monuments, and archaeological heritage that shaped Western historical imagination.

The composition offers a sweeping panoramic view across the Argive plain, historically one of the most significant regions of ancient Greece. From the elevated vantage point near Mycenae — legendary seat of Agamemnon — the scene combines archaeological awareness with Romantic landscape sensibility. Figures on horseback and on foot, rendered by H. de Rossi, animate the foreground and emphasize both scale and the spirit of nineteenth-century exploration.

Executed in lithography by Théodore Du Moncel and published in London by E. Gambart, Junin & Cie, the print reflects the important role of illustrated travel publications before the widespread use of photography. Such works allowed scholars, collectors, and the broader public to engage visually with classical sites that were still relatively remote.

Today, this engraving is valued both for its artistic refinement and documentary significance. It captures a nineteenth-century European vision of the Argive landscape — a meeting point of mythology, archaeology, and Romantic travel imagery — and stands as a testament to the enduring cultural fascination with ancient 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