Curche of St. Peter at Rome
Bird's Eye View, 1818
Bird's Eye View, 1818
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The Church of St. Peter at Rome - L'Église de St. Pierre a Rome Jas. Whittle and R. H. Laurie, 53 Fleet Street, London: June 24, 1818 Hand colored engraving 9.75 x 16 inches, image 13.5 x 19.25 inches, overall $375 |
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Bird's-eye view of St. Peter's Church in Rome. Passersby in early 19th century dress stroll through the main plaza. Possibly intended as a vue d'optique, a type of hand-colored engraving intended to be viewed through a convex lens. The devices, known variously as zograscopes, optiques, optical machines and peepshows, were an optical entertainment of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Robert Laurie (1755-1836) and James Whittle (1757-1818) were London map, chart and printsellers active from 1794 to 1812 trading variously as Laurie and Whittle or Whittle and Laurie. Laurie began his career as a fine mezzotint engraver and exhibited at the Society of Artists from 1770-76. With Whittle, they took over Robert Sayer's business and Laurie stopped engraving. The firm published many atlases and maps and products used for jigsaws. Robert's son, Richard Holmes Laurie, succeeded him upon his retirement in 1812, and after Whittle's death in 1818 carried on the business alone until at least 1840. The firm still exists as Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Ltd. and they have long specialized in marine charts. Condition: Generally very good with the usual toning, some mild light wear, soiling, soft creases. Some wear to outer edges. References: "Emperor's Palace in Beijing." Devices of Wonder. J. Paul Getty Trust. 2001. http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/devices/html/homepage.html (30 September 2002). Maxted, Ian. "The London book trades 1775-1800: a preliminary checklist of members." Exeter Working Papers in British Book Trade History. U.K.: Devon Library and Information Services. 2001. http://www.devon.gov.uk/library/locstudy/bookhist/lonl.html and http://www.devon.gov.uk/library/locstudy/bookhist/lonw.html (18 March 2002). |