• Title : Vue Du Pont De Westminster Du Cote Du Nord
• Date : 1780
• Condition: (A+) Fine Condition
• Ref:  92718
• Size: 21in x 14 1/2in (535mm x 370mm) 

Description: 

This large beautifully engraved hand coloured original antique print, a view of Westminster in London -including London Bridge, Tower Hill, Westminster Abbey and the old Parliament buildings - was engraved by Balthazar Frederic Leizelt and was published in 1780 in the unusual publication Vues d’Optique.

Vues d' Optique or Perspective Views: Perspective views, or "vues d'optique," are a special type of popular print published in Europe during the 18th century. These prints provided a form of entertainment when viewed through a device called an "optical machine" or an "optique." The most characteristic feature of the perspective views is their emphasized linear perspective, done to further intensify the enhanced appearance of depth and illusionistic space in the prints when viewed through an optique. When displayed in the optique, the prints might transport the viewer into a far away place---an unknown city, or perhaps into the midst of a dramatic bit of contemporary history. Another attribute of these prints is their bright, often heavy hand coloring, applied boldly so as to show the tints when viewed through the lens.

A number of perspective prints depicted American scenes at the time of the Revolution for a European audience hungry for news of the events in the British colonies. As documents of American history and European printmaking, these are unusual and appealing eighteenth-century prints.

General Description:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy & stable
Paper color: - White
Age of map color: - Original
Colors used: - Blue, yellow, green, red
General color appearance: - Authentic & bright
Paper size: - 21in x 14 1/2in (535mm x 370mm)
Plate size: - 15 1/2in x 10in (395mm x 255mm)
Margins: - Min 1in (25mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - Light soiling