English Hand Colored Engraving, Framed

Somehow a shaded courtyard is full of tiny people and one very large tree

This hand colored engraving is from England, United Kingdom, and is dated 1842. It is ink on paper. Thomas Allom, an architect and founding member of what became the Royal Institute of British Architects, illustrated books on China in the 1840s without ever making the trip there himself. Scaled down, a hand-colored market scene with a carved pavilion, a leafy tree, and figures seated and moving beneath an awning. Small touches of red and green enliven it. A wide white mat and a gray beaded frame surround it. It is 21.5 inches wide and 19.5 high.

Lots of life, packed into a space the size of a postcard.