Perspective Views or Vues D'Optique

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Views of different parts of the world. Published in Paris, Augsburg, London, etc., ca. 1750-1800. (Publisher and city noted where known.) Small folio (ca. 10 x 15). Etchings. Full original hand color. Most with some minor blemishes, but overall very good condition, except as noted.

A series of perspective views, or vues d’optique, a special type of popular print published in Europe during the eighteenth century. These prints were a form of entertainment meant to be seen through devices called “optical machines,” “optiques,” "zograscopes" or “peepshows.” These views are some of the most distinctive and interesting images of the eighteenth century, and their striking use of lines of perspective and bright original color makes them as visually delightful as they are historically fascinating.

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• United States
  
  
  • Francois Xavier Habermann. "Debarquement Des Troupes Engloises A Nouvelle Yorck." [Disembarkation of the English Troops in New York.] Title also in German and supertitle printed in reverse. Augsburg, ca. 1776. 9 5/8 x 15 5/8. Etched by Habermann. Original hand color. Very good condition. Cresswell: 266. $1,250

    
    

  • "L'Entre Triumphale de Troupes Royales a Nouvelle Yorck." [Triumphal Entry of the British Troops into New York.] Ca. 1776. 11 x 15 7/8. Original hand color. Very good condition. Cf. Cresswell: 267. $1,250

    
    

  • Francois Xavier Habermann. "Representation Du Feu Terrible A Nouvelle Yorck." [The terrible fire in New York.] Title printed in reverse at top. Augsburg, ca. 1776. 9 1/2 x 15 1/2. Etching. Original hand color. Narrow margins. Old creases down center. Overall, very good condition. Cresswell: 268. $1,250

    
    

  • Francois Xavier Habermann. "La Destruction de la Statue royale a Nouvelle Yorck." [Destruction of the Royal Statue in New York.]. Title also in German. Augsburg, ca. 1776. 9 1/2 x 15 5/8. Etching. Original hand color. Some chipping, short tears and minor stains in wide margins. Otherwise, very good condition. Cresswell: 263. $1,250

  
  
• Canada
  None currently available.

  
  
• Mexico
  • "Vue de la Grande Place à Mexico." Paper toned; wrinkles in upper half. Stable, period repair at bottom margin (reinforced on verso with old paper). Three short repaired tears at left edge, just into margin. $750

• England
  • “A View of the grand Palace of Westminster.” Paris: Chereau. Framed. $450
  • “A View of the grand Palace of Westminster.” Two repaired tears. $450
  • “Vue Perspective du Marché aux Fleurs a Londres.” Paris: Daumont. Two small spots in sky. $375
  • "Vue Perspective a Londres de l'Admirauté du nouveau Batiment pour les Gardes a Cheval, Whitehall." Augsburg: George Godefroid Winckler. Smudges in sky and in margins. $375

  • "Vue de la Cathédrale de St. Paul à Londres." Repaired tear at bottom margin; repaired tear into image at top; short repaired tear at left. Soft wrinkles at top of image. A few light spots in image. $400
  • "Vue de la Place de Cressent [sic] à Peckham." A few scattered stains. Stable, period repair at bottom and top margins (reinforced on verso with old paper). $350
  • "Vue de la Hall des Marchands de Fer dans Fenchurch Street a Londres." $425

  
  
• France
  • “Intérieur Du Louvre. Salle Des Cariatides.” $350
  • “Vue De La Place Des Victoires à Paris.” Paris: Basset. $375
  • "Vue Des Montagnes De Belleville Pres Paris." Paris: Hocquart. A fascinating image of an early amusement ride. $450
  • "Vue Du Palais Royal Prise Du Château D'eau." A few spots in sky. $350

  • “Vue perspective de l’Interieur de Choeur des Invalides en dedans du Dôme.” Paris: Basset. $375
  • "Vue des Rives de la Seine Prise du Pont Neuf à Paris." Paper toned; wrinkles in upper half. Stable, period repair at bottom margin (reinforced on verso with old paper). A few very light spots. Repaired tears in lower margin. $450
  • "Vue d'Optique nouvelle representant le Chateau et l'Orangerie de Versailles, pris de la piece de Suisses." Some wear in upper third of image. Scattered light spots. Backed on wove paper as issued. $400
  • "Vue de Château de Blaye." Short repaired tears through margins and just into image. Some wear at top edge. Remnants of stable, period repair at bottom and top margins (reinforced on verso with old paper). $375
  • "Vue de la Grand Place à Tournay." Very light water stain in sky. Short repaired tears through margins and just into image. Some wear at top edge. Remnants of stable, period repair at bottom and top margins (reinforced on verso with old paper). $350

  
  
• Germany
  • "Prospectus Ecclesiæ Cathedralis et Loci ad Stationes Mutandas Destinati Berolini. / Vista de la Yglesia Cathedral y de la Parada a Berlin." Spots throughout. $250
  • "Hospital Real Por Los Soldados Invalidos a Berlin." Several tears into image and margin, repaired. Minor spotting in image. $250
  
  
• Switzerland
  • "Vue de la Ville de Bale prise au dessus de la Reduite d'Huningue." [Basel] $350

  
  
• Austria
  • "Le Palais de Cesar dans le Faubourg à Vienne appelle Favorita." Several tears into image and margin; repaired. Water stain in sky. $250
  • "Vue du Nouveau Marché de la Farine a Vienne." Minor spotting in image. $275
  • "Vue du Nouveau Marché de la Farine a Vienne avec la Representation d'une Course en Traineaux de la Cour Imperiale." Center fold and repaired tears in sky. $500
  • "Vue du Palais du Prince de Liechtenstein a Vienne." Minor spotting in image. $225
  
  
• Holland
  • “Cathédrale Dordrecht En Hollande.” Paris: Hocquart. [Illustrated top left] $375

  
  
• Belgium
  • "Vue de la Place Royal à Bruxelles." Short repaired tears through margins and just into image. Some wear at top edge. Tiny hole in sky. Remnants of stable, period repair at bottom and top margins (reinforced on verso with old paper). $350
  • "Vue du Palais du Prince d'Orange à Bruxelles." A few scattered spots. Short repaired tear in lower margin. $350

  
  
• Italy
  • “Vue Perspective du Palais des Papes, sur le Mont Cavallo à Rome, et des Ecuries.” Paris: J. Chereau. A few small blemishes. $350
  • “Salle Romaine Dans La Calabre.” Paris: Hocquart. $350
  • “Vue Perspective du fameux Pont de Remino fabriquee du temps d’Auguste Tibert Empereur Romain.” Paris: Basset. $350
  • “Vue de la Maison de Plaisance de son Eminence le Prince de Corsini à Florence; pris du côté du Jeu de Boulee.” Shows a game of boules. Paris: Basset. $375

  • [Venice]. One form of these prints was to have their margins painted black, thus covering the title information. This made the prints more dramatic when viewed in one of the optical machines. $450
  • "L'Eglise de St. Theodore et l'Entrée du Grand Canal de Venise." Very light spots. $450
  • "Vue de Gênes Prise de la Porte St. Thomas." Paper toned; wrinkles in upper half. Stable, period repair at bottom, left, and top margins (reinforced on verso with old paper). $350

  • "Vue de Florence prise de Vaga Loggia." Backed with wove paper, as issued. Very good condition. $450
  • "Vue du Pont de Rïalto à Venise." Paper toned; wrinkles in upper half. Stable, period repair at bottom margin (reinforced on verso with old paper). A few very light spots. Small loss at lower edge of image. $425
  • "Vue Perspective du Pont de la Trinite de Florence." Some wear on face of image. Backed with wove paper, as issued. Loss at right margin, just into image. Some light, very scattered spots. $350
  • [Castel Sant'Angelo / Hadrian's Tomb.] "Le Pont St. Ange a Rome . . . Le Château est un reste de la Sepulture de l'Empereur Adrien." Some wear in upper third of image. Scattered light spots. Backed on wove paper as issued. $450

  
  
• Russia
  • “La Grande Place de Petersbourg.” Paris: Daumont. $375
  • "Vue de l'Amphithéatre pour la Promenade Public à l'Isle Kamannoi Ostrow sur la petite Newa près de Saint Petersbourg app'le a M. de Comtesse de Bestoucheff." Backed on wove paper as issued. Some wear in top third of image; scattered light spots. Else, good condition. $400
  
  
• Scotland
  • “Vue De L’Université à Édimbourg.” Paris: Basset. $450
  • "Vue de la Grande Rue et du Château à Édimbourg." Repaired tear in bottom margin. Two small spots in sky. Light wear at edges. Else, very good condition. $450
  • "Vue de la Place et de la Colonne Nelson à Édimbourg." Two light stains. Short repaired tears at edges. Else, very good condition. $400
  • "Vue du Château d'Édimbourg." Stable, period repair at top margin (reinforced on verso with old paper) Some light scattered spots. Else, good condition. $425

  
  
• Spain
  • “Vue Perspective de la Grande Place de St. Francois à Seville.” Paris: J. Chereau. $350
  • "Vue Perspective de la Fontaine du Soleil a Madrid." Paper toned; scattered spots. Backed with wove paper, as issued. Light pencil notation of English title below French title. $300
  • "Vue Perspective du Portail de l'Eglise Cathedrale de Toledo." Paper toned; a few very scattered spots. Backed with wove paper, as issued. $325

• Holy Land
  
  • “Vue de Jerusalem avant sa destruction.” Paris: Mondhare. Some light staining in margins. [Illustrated above.] $325

• Turkey
  • "Vue de la Place et de la Fontaine de Top-Hané." Trimmed to neat line at top and left. Soft wrinkles in top third. A few short repaired tears. Light discoloration in lower left corner. $375
  • "Vue de la Place et des Casernes de Top-Hané a l'entree du Port de Constantinople." Stable, period repair at bottom and top margins (reinforced on verso with old paper). A few short repaired tears at edges. Small loss at left margin. A few spots in image. $400

• "La Ville de Jerusalem comme les Juifs y tenoient tous les ans la Fete des Tabernacles." $275
• "La Ville de Jerusalem comme Jesus Christ peu de jour savant sa passion fit son entiere monte sur une anesse et comme cette pompeuse entre fut celebree du Peuple par des chant d'allegresse Hosanna." $275
• "La Destruction de la Ville de Jerusalem le brulement de la Maison de Dieu et le Transport du Peuple d'Israel en Babylone par Nebucadnets au Roi de ce Royaume ou ils furent Esclaves les Soixantes dix annees." $275
• "Alles, montres-vous aux Sacrificateurs. Et il arriva qu'en s'en allant ils furent rendus net. St. Luc. Chap. XVII. V. 14." $250
• "Et l'Eternal Dieu le mit hors du jardin d'Hedron, pour labourer la terre, de la quelle il avoit ete pris." $575
• "Seigneurs fils de David aie pitie de nous Et Jesus s'arretant les appella…" Mathew: 20. v. 31. 31. Partial loss of title in bottom margin. $225

  
  

• "Le Temple de Diane d'Ephese." "Temple of Diana at Ephesus."
• "Colosse de Rhodes." "Colossus of Rhodes." [Illustrated above]
• "Les Murailles de Babylone." "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon."
• "Mausolée." "Mausoleum."
• "Les Pyramides de l'Égypte." "The Pyramids of Egypt."
• "Phare de l'Égypte." "Lighthouse of Egypt [Alexandria]" and
• "L'Amphitheatre de Rome." "The Amphitheater of Rome"
  Augsburg, ca. 1780. Engraved by Georg Balthasar Probst. A few with corners trimmed; most glued to heavy paper for stability. Overall good condition. Sold as is. For the set of 7 prints $1,050

• Prodigal Son
  • “Vale Filii Deperditi Licencia Del Hijo Prodigo.” $350

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Go to page with more complete discussion of history and nature of perspective views

Other view pages
[ Location Index | Subject Index | Artists ]

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