19th Century Copperplate Prints
These 19th century copperplate prints bring original Georgian and Victorian graphic art into the home through framed engravings, mezzotints, and aquatints.
19th Century Copperplate Prints
When you search for 19th century copperplate prints, you encounter a varied selection of framed art, engravings, and printed works spanning the Georgian, Regency, and Victorian eras. The inventory includes single plates, pairs, and larger sets depicting natural history, architecture, portraits, and military scenes.
Most pieces date from the 1800s onwards, housed in period surrounds such as original Hogarth frames, maple wood frames, and black eglomise glass. Subject matter ranges from detailed London views and coastal scenes to orientalist views and classical portraits.
How they were made
The works utilise paper surfaces inscribed through techniques such as engraving, mezzotint, stipple engraving, and aquatint, using ink and sometimes watercolour or hand tinting. Printers applied pigment to metal plates before transferring the image onto paper.
Many examples retain their period presentation, set within wood or giltwood frames, occasionally behind glass panels including black eglomise.
19th Century Copperplate Prints Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for 19th century copperplate prints among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
An eighteenth-century map of Surrey sits comfortably alongside bustling nineteenth-century courtyard scenes and detailed studies of birds.
What varies in quality
Quality rests upon the clarity of the printed line and the precision of the plate maker, alongside the preservation of any hand-applied watercolour or tinting. Early impressions pulled directly from the plate show sharper detail than later printings.
The quality of the framing and mounting also influences the piece, with original Hogarth frames, maple mouldings, and period glass adding integrity to the historic artwork.
Thomas G Appleton·S & J Fuller·William Barnard·Henry Alken·Edward Stodart·W. Collard·W. Roffe·William Daniell·C. Smith·J. Mitan·Alessandro Mocchetti
The 19th Century Copperplate Prints Glossary
- Mezzotint
- A printmaking process where the copper plate is roughened to achieve rich tonal gradations rather than just fine lines. This technique allows for subtle shifts in light and shade.
- Aquatint
- An intaglio printmaking technique that produces areas of tone resembling watercolour washes. It was frequently used for topographical and architectural views.
- Stipple engraving
- A method of creating images on metal plates using a pattern of dots rather than continuous lines. This style creates soft flesh tones and gentle contours.
- Eglomise
- The process of applying gold leaf or painting on the reverse side of glass to create a reflective border. Black eglomise glass often frames Regency and Victorian works.
19th Century Copperplate Prints: Frequently Asked Questions
Are these prints original to the nineteenth century?
The listings comprise works printed during the 19th century, including specific dates from the Regency and Victorian periods.
Each piece reflects the printing technology and paper stock of its respective decade, often accompanied by period framing.
How should I hang these framed prints?
Historic frames, particularly original Hogarth or maple mouldings, require careful handling and secure wall fixings suited to their weight.
Keep them away from direct sunlight to protect the paper and any hand-applied watercolour tints from fading over time.
What subjects are common in these engravings?
The selection covers a wide range of visual interests, from topographical views of London and the English coast to natural history and military history.
Portraits of political figures and architectural studies such as Brighton Pavilion also appear across the selection.
Do the pieces come ready to hang?
Many examples arrive as framed art, enclosed in period wooden frames, giltwood, or glass surrounds.
This allows them to be displayed immediately while preserving the historic relationship between the print and its mount.