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Description:This hand coloured original antique print, a view of Cheapside and St Marys Le Bow, London was published as part of the Vues d’Optique in 1760.
St Mary-le-Bow is an historic church rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666 by Sir Christopher Wren in the City of London on the main east–west thoroughfare, Cheapside. According to tradition a true Cockney must be born within earshot of the sound of Bow Bells (which refers to this church's bells rather than St Mary and Holy Trinity, Bow Road, in Bow, an outlying village until the 19th century.
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. (Ref: M&B; Tooley)
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: - 18in x 13in (460mm x 330mm) Plate size: - 16 1/2in x 10in (420mm x 255mm) Margins: - Min 1in (25mm)
Imperfections: Margins: - Repair to top margin, no loss Plate area: - None Verso: - None