A rare hand-colored copperplate engraving by Paul Decker the Elder, Plate 55 from Fürstlicher Baumeister, oder Architectura Civilis (The Princely Architect), engraved by Carl Remshart and published by Jeremias Wolff in Augsburg in 1711. The plate shows the first side of a princely court chapel with the noble's pew, a grand Baroque interior rendered in cross-section: a coffered dome above, galleried arcades, rose marble columns, and richly gilded ornament worked throughout with figures, cherubs, and painted ceiling scenes. The hand coloring is soft and warm, with blush pinks, blues, and gilding that give the architecture real depth.
Decker's designs set out his vision of the ideal nobleman's palace, outfitted with every luxury and the latest fashion in interior design. More than three centuries on, the plate remains a beautiful document of Baroque grandeur, lovely for a library, study, or gallery wall among other architectural prints.
The engraving has been newly and professionally framed under glass, ready to hang.
Measurements: 17 1/2"w by 21 1/2"t
