Object: Optic Print, c. 1800
Accession#: 1984.0052
Perspective views were a popular style of print published in 18th century England. A vue d’optique was the device through which this flat print could be viewed to give it a third dimension, depth. This hand colored optic print in Wilton’s collection titled Interieur De L’Eglise De St. Paul a Londres is a view of the interior of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. Prints like this one were sold on the streets by traveling showmen and meant to be taken home for private entertainment.
The sons in the Randolph family could have taken a tour of Europe in their early teens and St. Paul’s Cathedral may have been one of the sites they visited. St. Paul’s Cathedral still stands today at the highest point in London and was designed by British architect Christopher Wren, between 1675 and 1710. The previous cathedral dedicated to the saint was built on the same site but destroyed as the Great Fire swept through London’s streets from September 2, 1666 to September 4, 1666. Historical places like St. Paul’s Cathedral were the subject of most optical views or perspective views as were imaginary and historical events.
Engraved, and in this instance, hand colored, these optical views were made to be viewed through a perspective glass or vue d'optique which was fitted on a stand with a mirror and lens. The perspective glass would be placed on a flat surface, the print placed behind it, and the lens kept in a vertical position. Then a nearby candle would be lit and the print could be viewed in the mirror through the lens. According to one historian, “The most characteristic feature of the perspective views is their emphasized linear perspective, done to further intensify the enhanced appearance of depth and illusionistic space in the prints when viewed through an optique.” Some perspective views could even be viewed using just a mirror which would show the view in reverse. Hence, many of these prints were printed in reverse so when viewed would be seen correctly.
Perspective views provided entertainment for wealthy families and their guests. The Randolph sons may have brought these optic prints back from Europe with the intent of showing the places they had traveled. Visit Wilton today to see this print and others like it on display throughout the house.
Bibliography
Anderson, Myrna.“More Prodigal”. Calvin: Minds in the Making. 21 March 2012. 19 April
2013. <http://www.calvin.edu/news/archive/more-prodigal>
Whalen, Catherine L. Winterthur Portfolio. Vol. 33, No. 1 (Spring 1998) pp. 75-88. Chicago
Journals. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1215245?uid=3739936&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102065347081>
“History and Nature of Perspective Views or Vue D’Optique” The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd.
19 April 2013. < http://www.philaprintshop.com/perspect.html>
“Cathedral History”. St. Paul’s Cathedral. 26 April 2013. <http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-
History/Cathedral-History>
Image Credit
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History
http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/perspective-glass
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