La Nouvelle Yorck

La Nouvelle Yorck. This version of Leizelt’s engraving ‘a Paris chez J. Chereau rue St. Jacques au defous de la Fontaine St Severin aux a colonnes No 257.’ A fine hand-coloured engraving on laid paper, with wide uncut margins and very well preserved original colour. Second half 18th century.

This view is not actually of New York, but is one half of William Woollett’s engraving of the Royal Dock Yard at Deptford, England! The other half of that engraving was transformed by Leizelt into a view of Philadelphia.

The perspective view, or “vue d’optique,” was a special type of popular print published in Europe during the 18th century. These prints were viewed through a device variously called an optical machine, zograscope or an optique.