Royal Palace of Hampton Court – Vue du Palais Royal de Hampton Court a 15 Miles de Londres

Optica print of Hampton Court Palace

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there were many popular specialty establishments in Paris, Augsburg and London which produced optical viewing devices and special engravings to be viewed through them. In the 18th century the optical print or vue optique came into existence, whose exaggerated converging lines were intended to produce the optical illusion of deep recession. The viewing devices for which these perspective prints were produced consisted of a lens and a mirror, this requiring the use of reversed or mirror-image pictures.

So called optical print of the Hampton Court Royal Palace Royal Gardens near London. Published by the brothers Chéreau, active in Paris at rue St. Jacques au dessus de la Fontaine St. Severin aux 2 colonnes N°257.  François Chéreau was born in 1680 in Blois, it is unknown when he settled in Paris. He was student of Gérard Audran and Pierre Drevet. In 1718 he acquired the stock of copper plates and prints of his tutor Gérard Audran. He was a very talented engraver. After his death in 1729 the copper plates were sold by his widow. His brother Jacques (le jeune) (1688-1776) was also engravers and publisher and worked for one year in England. He was well known as engraver of portraits.