Antonio Schranz was part of a family of artists of German origin who had settled in Malta in 1818. Working in Valletta, Antonio was described as `paesista e pittore di marina', that is, a landscape and marine artist. He collaborated with his elder brother Giovanni (1794-1882) in the family lithographic establishment which published prints after their watercolours, usually lettered `Schranz Brothers.’ From 1823-47 Antonio made at least ten voyages to the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt, often finding employment as a draughtsman to wealthy British travellers, such as Robert Pashley in 1834 and Viscount Castlereagh in 1842. Later, he also took up photography and produced picturesque scenes of Cairo as early as 1851.
This image of Hierapolis [modern Pamukkale in western Turkey] was intended as a kind of souvenir for the unidentified patron and traveller who employed Antonio in 1836-1837. As a generalised view, it is a forerunner of the picture postcard. In ancient times Hierapolis in Phrygia was a kind of spa, famous for the healing properties of its hot springs, and the temples built to accommodate the influx of worshippers. Below the pool of warm water depicted here are the famous white cliffs, formed into fantastic shapes by the rapid deposition of calcium carbonate from the mineral rich waters, flowing down into a series of shallow pools and forming stalactites. The Turks called the site Pamukkale, `cotton castle’ and it is now a major tourist attraction. The uninhabited area amongst the ruins around the pool, as painted by Schranz, is now covered with modern buildings. The Sacred Pool itself is now the swimming pool located inside the Pamukkale Hotel.