Paris, Circa 1760 - Optical View Of The Grands Boulevards From The Pte St Antoine - Coloured

Visible in Paris. Free hand delivery in the capital and its suburbs. Postage for France: 15€. Delivery for Europe and the rest of the world, please contact me.

Period colourised optical view
laid paper
Dimensions : W. 51 ; H. 36 (cm.)
Paris, circa 1760

Original copper engraving on laid paper with watercolour highlights. Published by Louis-Joseph Mondhare in Paris around 1760, depicting a view of the Grands Boulevards from the Porte Saint-Antoine in Paris.
In the 18th century, several renowned establishments in Paris, London, Augsburg and Bassano specialised in creating these optical views. They could be viewed on their own or through a zograscope, a wooden stand topped with a lens that enlarged the image and accentuated the effect of perspective. They could also be placed in optical boxes, with the viewer looking inside the box through the lens. This distraction was very popular in the 18th century in the salons of the bourgeoisie and nobility, as well as in the countryside thanks to peddlers.

Condition report: minor foxing and wetness.