Galerie
Napoléon
- Paris - Collection of the Optical Views

Optical view of the Grand Canal - Palace of Fontainebleau (France)
XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time engraved by Le Potre after Le Potre. Published by Van Merlen in Paris circa 1680

17th Century optical view in original watercolors of the Grand Canal - Palace of Fontainebleau (France)
Free Passepartout (available in 23 shades)
  • 201
  • 202
  • 203
  • 204
  • 205
  • 206
  • 207
  • 208
  • 209
  • 210
  • 211
  • 212
  • 213
  • 214
  • 215
  • 216
  • 217
  • 218
  • 219
  • 220
  • 221
  • 222
  • 223
168017th Century
  • Date : circa 1680
  • Century : 17th Century
  • Period : Louis XIV
  • Technique : Strong water etching
  • Paper : Laid paper
  • Publisher : Van Merlen
  • Place of publication : Paris
  • Passepartout : 50.0 x 65.0 cm
  • Sheet : 33.0 x 49.0 cm
  • Plate : 30.0 x 46.0 cm
  • Inventory N° : FR-03482
800€
(Frame not included)
  • Certificate of authenticity
  • Passepartout included
  • Portfolio exacompta
  • Free shipping costs
  • Shipment within 24H
  • Online tracking

Original title

Perspective du canal de fontaine Bel-eau, avec la magnifique Promenade du Roy, de la Reine...

Mentions

  • A Paris chez van Merlen rue St. Jacques a la ville d'Anuers
  • Avec Privilege du Roy
  • Le Potre Invent et fecit

Description

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time engraved by Le Potre after Le Potre. Published by Van Merlen in Paris circa 1680, depicting a view of the Grand Canal - Palace of Fontainebleau (France).

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.

Condition report

  • Water stains in the lower right angle
  • A restored tear in the left margin (4cm)
  • A restored tear in the right margin (2cm)

Parterre and Canal

Henry IV created a large formal garden, or parterre Along the axis of the parterre, he also built a Grand Canal 1200 meters long. Between 1660 and 1664 the chief gardener of Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre, and Louis Le Vau rebuilt the parterre on a grander scale, filling it with geometric designs and path bordered with boxwood hedges and filled with colorful flowerbeds. They also added a basin, called Les Cascades, decorated with fountains, at the head of the Canal. Le Notre planted shade trees along the length of the Canal, and also laid out a wide path, lined with elm trees, parallel to the Canal.

The Canal, almost 60 years before that of Versailles, quickly became a place of attraction. You could walk there by boat and Louis XIII sailed a galley there. It is fed by several aqueducts established in the sixteenth century.

The Optical View

The Galerie Napoléon is pleased to propose to you this strong water etching printed 344 years ago (around 1680).

As for all the antique prints in our catalogue, this optical view Perspective du canal de fontaine Bel-eau, avec la magnifique Promenade du Roy, de la Reine... datant de 1680 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 (1680).

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.

  • 201
  • 202
  • 203
  • 204
  • 205
  • 206
  • 207
  • 208
  • 209
  • 210
  • 211
  • 212
  • 213
  • 214
  • 215
  • 216
  • 217
  • 218
  • 219
  • 220
  • 221
  • 222
  • 223

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 ...)

Related artworks

Galerie Napoléon

France

French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Monday, July 27, 1789 | National Motto of France - Fraternity | Journal de Paris N°208, newspaper dated Monday, July 27, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.

French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Monday, July 27, 1789 | National Motto of France - Fraternity

Journal de Paris N°208, newspaper dated Monday, July 27, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.
French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Tuesday, July 28, 1789 | National Motto of France - Equality | Journal de Paris N°209, newspaper dated Tuesday, July 28, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.

French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Tuesday, July 28, 1789 | National Motto of France - Equality

Journal de Paris N°209, newspaper dated Tuesday, July 28, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.
French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Wednesday, August 19, 1789 | Portrait of Louis XVI of France ( Antoine-François Callet) | Journal de Paris N°231, newspaper dated Wednesday, August 19, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.

French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Wednesday, August 19, 1789 | Portrait of Louis XVI of France ( Antoine-François Callet)

Journal de Paris N°231, newspaper dated Wednesday, August 19, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.
French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Monday, September 7, 1789 | National Motto of France - Equality | Journal de Paris N°250, newspaper dated Monday, September 7, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.

French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Monday, September 7, 1789 | National Motto of France - Equality

Journal de Paris N°250, newspaper dated Monday, September 7, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.
French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Tuesday, September 8, 1789 | National Motto of France - Liberty | Journal de Paris N°251, newspaper dated Tuesday, September 8, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.

French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Tuesday, September 8, 1789 | National Motto of France - Liberty

Journal de Paris N°251, newspaper dated Tuesday, September 8, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.
French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Wednesday, September 9, 1789 | National Motto of France - Fraternity | Journal de Paris N°252, newspaper dated Wednesday, September 9, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.

French Revolution - Journal de Paris - Wednesday, September 9, 1789 | National Motto of France - Fraternity

Journal de Paris N°252, newspaper dated Wednesday, September 9, 1789. Original document printed on watermarked laid paper by the Imprimerie de Quillau, Rue du Fouarre at Paris in 1789.

Garden

Optical view of Ranelagh Gardens in London - Chelsea (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jean-François Daumont in Paris circa 1770

Optical view of Ranelagh Gardens in London - Chelsea (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jean-François Daumont in Paris circa 1770
Optical view of the Rotunda and the Canal of Ranelagh Gardens in London - Chelsea (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Mésard in Paris circa 1750

Optical view of the Rotunda and the Canal of Ranelagh Gardens in London - Chelsea (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Mésard in Paris circa 1750
Optical view of the Rotunda and the Canal of Ranelagh Gardens in London - Chelsea (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time engraved by Fonbonne. Published by Mésard in Paris circa 1750

Optical view of the Rotunda and the Canal of Ranelagh Gardens in London - Chelsea (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time engraved by Fonbonne. Published by Mésard in Paris circa 1750
Optical view of the Vauxhall Gardens in London (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jean-François Daumont in Paris circa 1760

Optical view of the Vauxhall Gardens in London (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jean-François Daumont in Paris circa 1760
Optical view of the Rotunda of Ranelagh Gardens in London (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques-Gabriel Huquier in Paris circa 1770

Optical view of the Rotunda of Ranelagh Gardens in London (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques-Gabriel Huquier in Paris circa 1770
Optical view of a Garden of the King of England near London (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1760

Optical view of a Garden of the King of England near London (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1760

Park

Optical view of St James's Park in London - Admiralty Extension (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques-Gabriel Huquier in Paris circa 1760

Optical view of St James's Park in London - Admiralty Extension (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques-Gabriel Huquier in Paris circa 1760
Optical view of Canal of St James's Park in London (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1780

Optical view of Canal of St James's Park in London (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1780
Optical view of Chester Terrace in Regent's Park at London (England) | Early XIXth century optical view in original watercolors. Original strong water etching heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1830

Optical view of Chester Terrace in Regent's Park at London (England)

Early XIXth century optical view in original watercolors. Original strong water etching heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1830
Optical view of Whitehall in St James's Park at London (England) | 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 1780

Optical view of Whitehall in St James's Park at London (England)

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 1780
Optical view of St James's Park and Buckingham Canal in London (England) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques Chéreau in Paris circa 1780

Optical view of St James's Park and Buckingham Canal in London (England)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Jacques Chéreau in Paris circa 1780

Palace of Fontainebleau

Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France) | 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 1790

Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France)

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 1790
Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1770

Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1770
Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published in Paris circa 1770

Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published in Paris circa 1770
Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France) | 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 1780

Optical view of the Palace of Fontainebleau (France)

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 1780
Optical view of Palace of Fontainebleau - Cour de la Fontaine (France) | Early XIXth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1820

Optical view of Palace of Fontainebleau - Cour de la Fontaine (France)

Early XIXth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper heightened with watercolor at that time. Published by Basset in Paris circa 1820
Optical view of the Grand Canal in the Palace of Fontainebleau (France) | XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published in Paris circa 1770

Optical view of the Grand Canal in the Palace of Fontainebleau (France)

XVIIIth century optical view in original watercolors. Original copper plate engraving on laid paper with watermark heightened with watercolor at that time. Published in Paris circa 1770