South by East: Notes of Travel in Southern Europe (page 1/3)

See all the images…

Writing Desk

A small illustration to enliven the space at the end of Chapter VI. A bearded man sits writing at a mediæval writing desk; there are scrolls in the foreground, and a gargoyle’d trifoliate carving on his bench along with a small statue in the [...] [more...] [$]

Milan Cathedral

A very fine engraving of the exceptionally beautiful Milan Cathedral; the scaled-down versions don’t do it justice. [$]

The Catacombs at Palermo

At the end of a long dark corridor, lined with coffins, chests, skulls, and the standing dead, we see an archway, and, through the arch, an old man, a monk, standing in a pool of light. This is a very cinematic engraving, even though it predates [...] [more...] [$]

Initial Letter S

A decorative capital “S” used as a drop cap, or initial letter S, from the start of Chapter VI, showing a monk kneeling at prayer, with tonsure, robe and sandals. The desk at which [...] [more...] [$]

The Catacombs of Naples

The Catacombs of Naples are of great interest even after those of Rome; they are said to extend for several miles underground; and they consist of broad arched passages hollowed out of the rock, containing on either side niches which once contained the bodies of the dead. They were without doubt [says Rodwell] excavated by the early Christians; many [...] original fresco has been covered with a coating of plaster, and a second fresco has been painted over the first, occasionally even a third. (p. 141) [more...] [$]