Vue Doptique Engraving Of The Royal Palace In Berlin 1780

A vue d’optique (also called an optical view) of the Royal Palace in Berlin from around 1780 sits at the crossroads of design, technology, and urban history. These copperplate engravings were made to be viewed through a zograscope—an 18th-century optical device with a lens and mirror that amplified perspective. Today, they are highly collectible for their bright hand-coloring, dramatic depth, and vivid records of European cityscapes before photography. This guide explains how to identify an authentic example depicting Berlin’s Royal Palace (the Stadtschloss), distinguish publishers and variants, evaluate condition, and understand current market values.

What Exactly Is a Vue d’Optique?

Vue d’optique prints were produced mainly in the 1750s–1790s in European print centers such as Paris, Augsburg, and London. Designed for the entertainment market, they used exaggerated one-point perspective and high-contrast hand-color to pop when magnified in a zograscope. One hallmark is the “mirror-title”: a line of lettering at the top printed in reverse, so it would read correctly in the viewer’s mirror. Many sheets also carry a normal, readable title beneath the image, often in two languages.

The Royal Palace in Berlin (Stadtschloss), rebuilt in baroque form by Andreas Schlüter and Eosander von Göthe in the early 1700s, was a favorite subject. Views typically present the palace across the Lustgarten and Spree, with active street scenes—carriages, promenading figures, and guards—foregrounding a receding façade with long rows of windows. Expect dramatic skies, bright blues and greens, and the glint of windows sometimes heightened with gum arabic.

Common alternate titles you might see:

• Prospect des Königlichen Schlosses zu Berlin
• Vue du Palais Royal de Berlin
• Prospekt des Königlichen Schlosses in Berlin
• A View of the Royal Palace at Berlin (English editions)

How to Identify an Authentic 18th-Century Impression

Use the following diagnostic markers to confirm period production:

• Printing technique: The image is copperplate engraving/etching (intaglio), not letterpress or lithography. Under magnification, you should see incised lines with slight burrs or aquatint-like textures in tonal passages. There should be no dot pattern typical of modern offset or giclée printing.

• Plate mark: A shallow rectangular indentation surrounds the image area from the pressure of the plate through the press. Feel or see it in raking light. Its absence can be a red flag, though heavily trimmed sheets sometimes lose plate-mark visibility.

• Paper type: Period examples are on laid paper, showing vertical chain lines and closer horizontal laid lines when backlit. Many sheets bear watermarks (fleur-de-lis, Strasbourg bend, grapes, “Pro Patria,” or initials). Wove paper points to early 19th century or later.

• Mirror-title: A reversed title line at the top margin is common on optical views. Some sheets also carry a standard title at the foot, often bilingual (German–French, or French–English). If all titles are upright and set in modern typefaces, be cautious.

• Hand-coloring: More often than not, the color is hand-applied in watercolor/opaque wash after printing. Period coloring is generally brisk and somewhat flat, with occasional gum arabic highlights on windows or water. Modern color may look glossy or overly even.

• Publisher’s imprint: Authentic sheets usually have an imprint and address in the lower margin. Common imprints for Berlin views include:

  • Augsburg: Georg Balthasar Probst and successors (“G. B. Probst excud. Aug.,” “Cum Priv. S. C. M.”) often with German/French titles.
  • Paris: Mondhare (“A Paris chez Mondhare, rue St. Jacques, No. 36”), Daumont (“Se vend à Paris, chez Daumont, rue St. Martin”), Basset.
  • London: Bowles & Carver (“No. 69 St. Paul’s Church Yard, London”), often with “Published according to Act of Parliament.”
  • Bassano: Remondini (less common for Berlin but possible; look for “In Bassano presso Remondini”).

• Layout and subject cues: Strong one-point perspective leading into a palace courtyard or across a square; bustling staffage figures; captions sometimes placed in parallel rows along the lower margin with serial numbers for “legends” explaining architectural features.

• Sheet size: Typical sheets are about 28–35 cm high by 40–50 cm wide (11–14 x 16–20 inches). Plate size often around 24–30 x 36–45 cm (9–12 x 14–18 inches). Variance is normal across publishers.

Publishers and Variants: What You May Encounter

• Georg Balthasar Probst (Augsburg): Highly active in optical views c. 1750–1780. Probst plates often have crisp engraving with clearly cut architectural detail, flanked by bilingual titles (German above, French below, or vice versa). Quality hand-coloring is common; imprints may include privilege lines. Probst Berlin views tend to be among the more sought-after for this subject.

• Mondhare and Daumont (Paris): Parisian editions typically feature elegant typefaces and neat bilingual captions. The hand-coloring can be vivid but controlled. Imprints changed over time (e.g., Mondhare merged/imprint variations), which can help refine dates within the 1760s–1780s range.

• Bowles & Carver; Carrington Bowles (London): English optical views often carry the phrase “Perspective View” or similar in the title. Paper can be slightly heavier. Coloring can be robust, with bright skies and punchy foregrounds.

• Basset (Paris) and others: Variants exist with minor title changes or differing vantage points. In some, the mirrored title is more dominant; in others, the standard title is at the bottom with a descriptive legend.

Because plates circulated, and some publishers re-engraved popular subjects, you will find near-duplicate compositions with subtle differences in figure groups, cloud patterns, or sash windows. Examine the inscription lines carefully: minor repositioning of the imprint, or different street numbers in addresses, can distinguish earlier from later states.

Dating Your Print: 1760s–1780s and Later Impressions

If the sheet is on laid paper with a watermark and bears an imprint for Probst, Mondhare, Daumont, Basset, or Bowles & Carver, a production window of roughly 1760–1785 is likely. The “1780” date often associated with Berlin Palace vues d’optique is a conventional midpoint rather than a strict publication year. To tighten the window:

• Address changes: For instance, “Mondhare, rue St. Jacques, No. 36” tends to be later than earlier, numberless addresses; Bowles’ transition to Bowles & Carver occurs c. 1793, often signaling an 1790s impression for English variants.

• Paper: Wove paper suggests early 19th-century restrikes or later copies. Consistent, machine-made texture equals post-1800 more often than not.

• Plate wear: Mushy lines, loss of fine architectural hatching, and filled crosshatching can indicate a late pull from a tired plate.

• Coloring palette: While subjective, garishly synthetic purples and ultramarines sometimes point to later color additions (Victorian or modern). Period color tends toward verdant greens, sky blues, ochres, and carmine accents.

True 19th-century optical views exist and can be collectible, but values are generally lower than for mid- to late-18th-century impressions.

Condition, Conservation, and Presentation

Condition has an outsized effect on value. Expect to encounter:

• Foxing: Small brown spots from paper impurities and humidity. Light, scattered foxing is tolerable; dense clusters reduce appeal and value.
• Toning and mat burn: Oxidation or acid migration from old mats, visible as a darker window around the image.
• Tears and losses: Edge tears, corner chips, and small holes (occasionally wormholes). Closed tears into the image area are more detrimental than marginal ones.
• Trimming: Vues d’optique were often framed tight; some lost margins, inscriptions, or even the mirrored title. Broad, intact margins are a premium feature.
• Center creases: Some sheets were folded; a vertical crease down the center is less desirable but not fatal.
• Staining: Water tide marks or adhesive stains from old hinges.
• Color condition: Period color with light, even age is preferred. Over-cleaned or re-colored examples are less desirable unless extremely well executed.

Basic care recommendations:

• Never bleach or use peroxide on antique papers—this weakens fibers and can cause long-term discoloration.
• Flatten gently in a humidity chamber if needed; leave to a professional conservator for significant planar distortions.
• Mend tears with Japanese tissue and reversible starch paste, not pressure-sensitive tapes.
• Frame with acid-free mounts, 100% cotton rag mat, and UV-filtering glazing. Keep out of direct sunlight and high humidity.

Pricing and Market Insights

Values depend on publisher, impression quality, coloring, subject desirability, margins, and condition. As of the current market:

• Common publishers (Paris or London), decent period hand-color, moderate margins: approximately $300–700.
• Augsburg (Probst) examples with clean impressions and good color: often $500–1,000.
• Exceptional condition with full margins, crisp intaglio bite, strong original color or fine contemporary hand-color: $1,000–1,800.
• Later 19th-century restrikes on wove paper or modern color on a tired impression: $200–450.
• Heavily trimmed, stained, or with losses into the image: $100–300, unless extremely rare variant.

Premium factors:

• Clear watermark and broad, untrimmed margins.
• Distinct mirrored title and bilingual captions intact.
• Publisher’s privilege line (e.g., “Cum Priv. S.C.M.”) where applicable.
• Tidy, period-consistent hand-color with gum arabic highlights, especially in windows and water.

Context matters: interest in Berlin’s Stadtschloss has been buoyed by its modern reconstruction, helping demand for historical images. However, the optical view market remains selective—quality and publisher recognition still drive final prices more than subject alone.

Practical Appraisal Checklist

• Identify publisher and imprint address; note any privilege lines or street numbers.
• Confirm intaglio printing and presence of a plate mark.
• Check for laid paper with visible chain lines; note any watermark.
• Look for the mirrored title at the top and the standard caption(s) below; verify bilingual text where expected.
• Measure plate and sheet sizes; record margin widths on all sides.
• Inspect coloring: period watercolor with possible gum arabic highlights versus later, glossy or synthetic-looking pigments.
• Assess condition: foxing, toning, mat burn, tears, losses, wormholes, folds, or repairs.
• Determine whether margins or inscriptions are trimmed; loss of titles reduces value.
• Compare with known variants (Probst, Mondhare/Daumont, Bowles & Carver, Basset) to gauge relative scarcity and desirability.
• Assign a value range reflecting publisher, condition, color, and completeness, and note any conservation needs.

FAQ

Q: Is “Vue Doptique” correct, or should it be “vue d’optique”? A: The standard French term is “vue d’optique,” meaning optical view. Spelling without the apostrophe appears in older catalogs and some English-speaking markets but refers to the same print genre.

Q: How can I tell if the color is original to the period? A: Period hand-color sits gently on the paper, often slightly uneven at edges, with occasional gum arabic highlights producing a soft sheen on windows or water. Later color may be very glossy, intensely saturated with modern pigments, or shows brushstrokes crossing engraved lines with less restraint.

Q: My print lacks the mirrored title. Is it still a vue d’optique? A: Yes. Not all optical views retain or included mirrored titles, especially if trimmed. Layouts varied by publisher. The exaggerated perspective, subject choice, and other features (intaglio printing, bilingual captions) still support identification.

Q: Does a watermark prove it’s from 1780? A: A watermark helps confirm 18th-century paper, but it does not fix a specific year. Combine watermark evidence with publisher’s imprint, address format, and plate characteristics for a more precise date range.

Q: Should I clean foxing before selling? A: Minor foxing is typical and often acceptable. If improvement is desired, consult a qualified paper conservator for reversible, non-bleaching treatments. Poor or aggressive cleaning can lower value more than minor spotting.

By applying the identification markers, understanding publisher nuances, and weighing condition carefully, you can confidently appraise a vue d’optique engraving of Berlin’s Royal Palace from around 1780—and decide whether to conserve, keep, or consign it to a market that continues to prize these luminous windows onto 18th-century urban life.