Illustration Collection (#90)

The tempting serpent EMM01 / 01 / 042
Wells Cathedral, Somerset. Watercolour, by Elsie Matley Moore, of a 14th century stained glass window at Wells Cathedral, depicting the tempting serpent

Crucifixion EMM01 / 01 / 025
Watercolour by Elsie Matley Moore of an unidentified stained glass window depicting the Crucifixion. 1940-1945

St Thomas and St Thomas EMM01 / 01 / 001
St Marys Church, Credenhill, Herefordshire. Watercolour by Elsie Matley Moore of a c.1330 stained glass window depicting St Thomas of Canterbury

Battery Observation Post IC077_009
Reconstruction drawing, by Ivan Lapper, showing a cut-away view of the Battery Observation Post, a Second World War reconnaissance hut situated overlooking the Half Moon Battery at the southern end

Kenilworth Church Plan MD53_00039
St Nicholass Church, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Plan of the church with key produced in 1953

Cliffords Tower MP_CLI0033
CLIFFORDs TOWER, YORK CASTLE, North Yorkshire. Hand coloured sketch elevations of the exterior north and east faces of Cliffords Tower. Drawing by Frank Baines, H.M

Mawgan Porth IC136_001
Mawgan Porth, Corwall. A reconstructiondrawing by Alan Sorrell showing an oblique view of Courtyard House 1 as it may have appeared in the 10th century

Farleigh Hungerford Castle J060019
FARLEIGH HUNGERFORD CASTLE, Somerset. Aerial view cutaway reconstruction drawing, by Stephen Conlin, of the Great Hall in the 15th century, hung with tapestries

Apsley House J050018
APSLEY HOUSE, London. Present day cutaway drawing of the first floor by Stephen Conlin

Portchester Castle J020056
PORTCHESTER CASTLE, Hampshire. Aerial view cutaway reconstruction drawing of Richard IIs palace in the 14th century, by Stephen Conlin

Viking era boat building IC128_006
Reconstruction drawing, by Chris Evans, depicting the construction of a Viking era ship on the banks of a river. Although no archaeological evidence has been found

Coastal battery IC266_003
Reconstruction drawing showing the layout of a typical Second World War emergency coastal battery comprising two 6-inch naval guns in gun-houses

HMS Northumberland IC273_004
A cross-section of the hull of HMS Northumberland as it may have appeared in 1703. On board a number of activities are taking place, including the working of the chain pump

Anglo Saxon Cross Wolverhampton CGH01_02_01_024
Anglo Saxon Cross, St Peters Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton. Nineteenth century pencil drawing showing the Anglo Saxon cross shaft in the churchyard. Artwork collected by C G Harper

Sandbach Cross CGH01_02_01_020
Sandbach Crosses, Market Square, Sandbach, Cheshire. the carvings on each side of one of the Sandbach Crosses prior to the 1816 restoration. Watercolour painting dated 1806

Monks Stone North Tyneside CGH01_02_01_018
Monks Stone, Beach Road, Preston, North Tyneside. The Monks Stone in its original location outside Monk House Farm. The stone was later removed to the cloister garth of Tynemouth Priory

Butter Cross Scarborough CGH01_02_01_016
Butter Cross, Low Conduit Street, Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Watercolour painting signed by Sir Henry Englefield, 1783. Artwork collected by C G Harper

Medieval worship J940334
TINTAGEL CASTLE, Cornwall. Worship in The Chapel. Medieval period reconstruction drawing by Ivan Lapper

Conduit House, St Augustines Abbey IC091_018
ST AUGUSTINEs ABBEY, Canterbury, Kent. Cut-away reconstruction drawing by Peter Urmston, depicting the water supply Conduit House for St Augustines Abbey

Sherborne Old Castle J960265
SHERBORNE OLD CASTLE, Dorset. The Central Buildings. Reconstruction drawing, by Philip Corke, depicting the outer courtyard at Sherborne Old Castle as it may have appeared in the twelfth century

Neolithic flint mine IC241_001
Easton Down, Wiltshire. Reconstruction drawing by Judith Dobie depicting a birds eye view of the Neolithic flint mining site on Easton Down

Bronze Age round house IC017_002
Cut-away reconstruction drawing by Peter Dunn of a Bronze Age round house, with half of the structure removed to reveal a view of a family in the interior. Roundhouse

Barnard Castle c. 1100 J880310
BARNARD CASTLE, Durham. Reconstruction drawing by Terry Ball of the Inner Ward c.1100, showing stone Gatehouse, timber buildings and curtain walls

St Peters Church, Barton-upon-Humber N070177
ST PETERs CHURCH, Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire. Reconstruction drawing by Liam Wales of the interior of the church in the 15th century. Ceremonial procession

St Peters Church, Barton-upon-Humber N070176
ST PETERs CHURCH, Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire. Reconstruction drawing by Liam Wales of the interior of the church in Norman period

St Peters Church, Barton-upon-Humber N070173
ST PETERs CHURCH, Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire. Aerial view reconstruction drawing by Liam Wales of the church in the 15th century

St Peters Church, Barton-upon-Humber N070172
ST PETERs CHURCH, Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire. Aerial view reconstruction drawing by Liam Wales of the church in Norman period

St Peters Church, Barton-upon-Humber N070171
ST PETERs CHURCH, Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire. Aerial view reconstruction drawing by Liam Wales of the church in Anglo-Saxon period

High Street Canterbury CGH01_01_1039
High Street, Canterbury, Kent. A coach and horses with groups of passengers, outside the Coach and Waggon Office. This drawing was copied from a painting by Thomas Sidney Cooper, dating from 1827

Rochester Castle CGH01_01_0618
Looking south-east across the River Medway towards Rochester Castle, with sailing boats in the foreground. Drawn by C G Harper between 1892-1933

Swarkestone Bridge CGH01_01_0581
Swarkestone Bridge, Stanton By Bridge, Derbyshire. Drawn by C G Harper 1892-1933

Dunster CGH01_01_0716
A view from the south of the Priory Church of St George, Dunster, Somerset. Drawn by C G Harper 1892-1933

Peggottys Boat House CGH01_01_0930
Peggottys Boat House, Kent. A cottage made partly from an upturned boat, at the west end of the Thames and Medway Canal. The cottage is believed to have been the inspiration for Peggottys house in

Folkestone, Kent CGH01_01_1133
Folkestone, Kent. Fishing boats in the harbour. Drawn by C G Harper between 1892-1933

Lincoln Cathedral mouldings MD44_00143
Hand tinted labelled sheet showing moulding details of the wall arcading of the Angel Choir, Lincoln Cathedral, with key. Measured drawing produced by John Gaff Gillespie in 1902

Wakefield Tower, Tower of London IC102_004
Reconstruction drawing, by Terry Ball, depicting the interior of the upper chamber of Wakefield Tower at the Tower of London

St Joan of Arc Church, Farnham ME001218
ST JOAN OF ARC CHURCH, Farnham, Surrey. Pen and ink sketch showing the exterior. 1936 sketch by Peter Anson

Norman lookout tower IC016_001
Reconstruction drawing, by Philip Corke, showing an exterior view of the Norman lookout tower at Bramber Castle, West Sussex

Ancient Greece IC132_005
An ancient Greek warrior and/or statesman, possibly Pericles, with the Acropolis in Athens in the background. Illustration by Ivan Lapper, 1990s

The Normans IC132_003
A Norman soldier attacking with a hand-and-a-half, a two-handed broadsword. In the background is shown a medieval castle keep. Illustration by Ivan Lapper, 1990s

Ancient Egypt IC132_001
The golden mask of the mummy of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, with a an ancient Egyptian temple complex in the background. Illustration by Ivan Lapper, 1990s

Lindisfarne Priory J050013
LINDISFARNE PRIORY, Holy Island, Northumberland. Cutaway reconstruction drawing by David Simon of the priory church in the later Middle Ages

Lindisfarne Priory J050012
LINDISFARNE PRIORY, Holy Island, Northumberland. Aerial view reconstruction drawing by David Simon of the priory in the later Middle Ages from the South West

Helmsley Castle J040009
HELMSLEY CASTLE, North Yorkshire. Reconstruction drawing by Philip Corke of the South Gate in the 13th century. Drawbridge, knight, page / squire

Iron Age man IC063_001
Reconstruction drawing by Ivan Lapper depicting an Iron Age man standing beside a wooden palisade fence atop Liddington Castle Hillfort, Swindon

Gritting the roads 9M_HIL_1840
Tower Hill, London. Miss Rist scattering ashes on Tower Hill; (to assist traffic in the snow). Woodcut by J. Knight, vignetted, c.1840. Mayson Beeton Collection

Whitehall in the 1790s 6C_WHI_1794
Whitehall, Westminster, London. looking south along Whitehall, showing the Banqueting House. Coloured aquatint by Thomas Malton, published in 1794. Mayson Beeton Collection

Whitehall Palace, 1650 6C_WHI_1650
Palace of Whitehall from the River Thames, Westminster, London. Whitehall Palace was the main royal residence in London between 1530 and 1698

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

From the Thirteen Original Colonies in 1776 to the vibrant cover of Ms. Magazine's first issue in 1972, illustrations have played a significant role in capturing history and culture. Whether it's EXPL2A-00352 showcasing Hindu gods Laksman, Rama, Sita, and Hanuman or the enchanting depiction of Hindu goddesses Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati from India, these illustrations transport us to ancient lands steeped in mythology. A map of ancient Rome takes us back to the grandeur of an empire that shaped Western civilization. Meanwhile, Babar, king of elephants, and Celeste engage in a playful game of tennis at Celesteville as depicted by Jean de Brunhoff's illustration from his beloved Babar books from the 1930s. Hadrian's Wall stands tall as a testament to Roman engineering prowess while a picture of Lakshmi holding lotus flowers reminds us of her divine presence as the goddess of wealth. William and Mary College transports us to colonial America during the 1700s when education was taking root on American soil. Johannes Brahms comes alive through an illustration that captures his musical genius and passion. Lastly, we are mesmerized by an intricate Book of Kells illustration depicting St. Matthew with meticulous details that showcase artistic mastery from centuries ago. These diverse illustrations not only tell stories but also serve as windows into different eras and cultures – reminding us how art has always been a powerful medium for human expression.