Galerie
Napoléon
- Paris - Collection of the Optical Views

Optical view of the Bridge and the Port of Beijing (China)
XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques Chéreau in Paris circa 1760

18th Century optical view in original watercolors of the Bridge and the Port of Beijing (China)
Free Passepartout (available in 23 shades)
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176018th Century
  • Date : circa 1760
  • Century : 18th Century
  • Period : Louis XV
  • Technique : Strong water etching
  • Paper : Laid paper
  • Publisher : Jacques Chéreau
  • Place of publication : Paris
  • Passepartout : 50.0 x 65.0 cm
  • Sheet : 30.0 x 44.0 cm
  • Plate : 26.0 x 38.0 cm
  • Inventory N° : FR-03019
500€
(Frame not included)
  • Certificate of authenticity
  • Passepartout included
  • Portfolio exacompta
  • Free shipping costs
  • Shipment within 24H
  • Online tracking

Original title

Vue Perspective du pont et du port de la Ville de Pekin, Ville de la Chine

Mentions

A Paris chez Jacques Chereau rue St Jacques au dessus de la Fontaine St Severin aux 2 colonnes n° 257.

Description

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques Chéreau in Paris circa 1760, depicting a view of the Bridge and the Port of Beijing (China).

During the 18th Century, several renowned establishments in Paris, London (England), Augsburg (Germany) and Bassano (Italy) were specialized in the creation of these optical views. They could be viewed alone or through a zograscope, a wooden foot surmounted by a lens which enlarged the image and accentuated the perspective effect. They could also be placed in optical boxes, the spectator then looked inside the box through the lens. This distraction was greatly appreciated in the 18th Century in the salons of the bourgeoisie and the nobility as in the countryside thanks to the hawkers.

These etchings are nowadays exhibited in museums around the world and extremely appreciated by collectors and decorators for their historical interest and their high decorative value.

Museums & Archives

The Bibliothèque nationale de France owns a copy of this optical view in its collections. For more details on this print please consult the site : Vue perspective du pont et du port de la ville de pekin, ville de la chine

Condition report

Very good state

This strong water etching is listed in these categories :

Beijing

In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang declared himself the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, then took power of the city. The last emperor Yuan is sent back to Shangdu and the palaces of Dadu are destroyed. The city is then renamed Beiping and the prefecture of Shuntian is established around the city. The capital was at that time Nanjing, located a thousand kilometers south of Beijing.

However, in 1403, the emperor Yongle renamed the city Beijing and made it the seat of government, which put it symbolically on a level of equality with Nanjing. In 1421, he had his administration transferred there. Yongle, undertakes major works in Beijing: he notably builds the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven. Once the Forbidden City is established, the emperor takes up residence in Beijing. From 1421, Beijing, also known as Jingshi, became the official capital of the Ming dynasty and Nanjing was relegated to the status of secondary capital. This system of two capitals continued during the Ming dynasty. Thus, 13 of the 16 Ming emperors are buried in majestic tombs near Beijing.

During the fifteenth century, Beijing essentially took its present form and the walls of the city under the Ming period served as protective walls for the city. until modern times, during which these walls were destroyed to build the second ring road. It is estimated that Beijing was the largest city in the world between 1425 and 1650 and between 1710 and 1825. Other notable constructions date from the Ming period, including the Temple of Heaven, built in 1420. Tian 'anmen, current symbol of the People's Republic of China which uses it on its emblem, was built for the first time in 1420, before being rebuilt throughout history. The Jesuits built the first Roman-style Catholic church in 1652, near the Xuanwu gate, where the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci lived. We also owe them the old observatory. The modern cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Beijing was built in 1904 on the original cathedral.

The end of the Ming occurs in 1644 when, for 40 days, the peasant army of Li Zicheng seized Beijing and overthrew the Ming government. When the powerful Manchu army arrives at the gates of the city, Li and his supporters abandon the city so that the Manchu forces, under the leadership of Prince Dorgon, capture Beijing without a fight.

The Optical View

The Galerie Napoléon is pleased to propose to you this strong water etching printed 264 years ago (around 1760).

As for all the antique prints in our catalogue, this optical view Vue Perspective du pont et du port de la Ville de Pekin, Ville de la Chine datant de 1760 is dispatched worldwide within 24H in a Secured packaging, accompanied by its certificate of authenticity guaranteeing the name of the artists (draughtsman, engraver, editor), the impression process used (Strong water) and its date (1760).

In order to guarantee a perfect conservation in time, this strong water etching is dispatched, ready to be framed, under museum quality color passepartout (manufactured without acid in the pulp for a neutral pH) on a cream mountboard made from carton bois (also acid free & neutral pH), in a luxurious portfolio.

History of the Optical views

At the apogee of the mode for optical views, between 1750 and 1790, four European cities specialized in their edition: Paris (France), London (England), Augsburg (Germany) and Bassano (Italy).

Optical views are prized in very different social circles : pleasant recreation in aristocratic salons, the views are admired in beautiful and richly decorated optical boxes which are real works of art. The show was transformed into a real scientific experiment. But the optical views also entertained the people who were in a hurry when a hawker set up a box on a market and began to narrate the extraordinary events that had taken place in a more or less distant and inaccessible country.

There are three categories in the production of optical views.

  • Topographic views: Cities, Monuments, Ports, Distant regions, reproduced with more or less accuracy, depending on the documents available to the engraver. It is obvious that the authors of these prints had not seen these territories. They therefore recomposed these landscapes by compiling various engravings and drawings, which explains many fantasies.
  • The historical scenes : Inaugurations, Coronations, Battles, Fires or Natural disasters form a subject that the people are fond of.
  • Views with a religious or moralizing theme. For educational value, these prints were mainly produced by Parisian publishers in the rue Saint-Jacques.

Our Guarantee

With more than 20 years experience and a catalogue of more than 40.000 antique prints, drawings and historical documents dating from the 14th to the 19th century, the Galerie Napoléon, parisian antique dealer's gallery, is one of the world references in the field of antique prints,etchings and antique graphic arts.

In addition to thousands of impassioned of antique prints throughout the world, the Galerie Napoléon is honoured to count among its customers : national archives, museums, historical monuments and important home designer companies. All attracted by the extraordinary diversity of its catalogue and the quality and speed of its services.

This experience allows us to guarantee to each one of our customers the authenticity of the antiques in our catalogue and the shipment of their orders within 24 hours.

Free customization

Customize for free the color of your museum quality bevel cut edge passepartout (acid free & neutral pH) among a color chart of 23 shades.
This option will be offered to you free of charge in the cart.

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Secured shipment

All our antiques can be shipped worldwide. The orders are dispatched within 24H in a secured packaging.

The Galerie Napoléon offers free shipping for all orders over 50EUR for France, 70EUR for all EU destinations and 90EUR for worldwide destinations.

For orders below these amounts, the shipping costs are 8EUR for France, 12EUR for all EU destinations and 17EUR for worldwide destinations.

Secured payment

  • Credit card secured by Paybox, european leader in the online payment (CB, Visa, Eurocard/Mastercard)
  • PayPal (American Express,..)
  • European bank transfer SEPA (IBAN/BIC/SWIFT)
  • Bank check (drawn on a french bank)
  • Invoice payment (Reserved for european public entities : Museums, National Archives, Ministries, Town Halls ...)

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