Welshpool and district
in Victorian times
  An engraving of Powis Castle  
 

Powis Castle near Welshpool is one of the finest residences in Wales. It stands on a ridge overlooking fine parklands, and in Welsh it is known as Y Castell Coch or Red Castle. This is because it was built mostly in red sandstone in the 13th century.

 
Powis Castle
Welshpool
around 1830
Powis Castle engraving

Many artists in Victorian times were able to make a good living from the sale of engravings copied from their original pictures.
The engravers had to be highly skilled craftsmen to produce very detailed engraved steel or copper plates. These were used to make large numbers of identical prints like the one shown here.
Prints could be bought at much cheaper prices than original paintings.
 

This picture is an engraving made from a landscape painting by Henry Gastineau, who travelled all over Wales and many other parts of Britain in the early 1800s.
He made watercolour paintings and drawings of castles, churches and other buildings, and many of these were published as engravings between 1831 and 1840. The original painting of this view of Powis Castle was probably done shortly before Victoria became Queen in 1837. The artist died in London in 1876.

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