International Art & Antiques

French 18th Century Perspective View Engraving.

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Start price: $70

Estimated price: $150 - $250

Buyer's premium:

Vue du Canal de Chantilly, hand colored engraving, 12 x 19 inches, sight. Framed. ‘vues d’optique’ were a special kind of print designed to be viewed with an optical device that would make them appear three-dimensional. 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 faraway place.