Antique city views provide a detailed visual record of how cities appeared in earlier centuries. The material offered here includes a range of early city views, comprising engravings, etchings, lithographs and drawings that depict streets, squares, canals, churches and gateways with considerable attention to topographical detail.
From the seventeenth century onwards, city views were widely published in travel books and topographical series. Artists and publishers recorded the appearance of cities at specific moments in time, often prior to periods of significant change brought about by commercial expansion, urban growth and redevelopment. In addition to printed views, preparatory and independent drawings of cities are also encountered, sometimes offering a more immediate and less formalised representation of the urban environment.
The city view emerged as a distinct genre in the later seventeenth century and saw extensive development during the eighteenth century, when large series of topographical views were produced for a growing audience interested in geography, travel and the representation of place. The present selection of antique city views spans different periods and techniques, including both printed works and drawings. As survivals of early modern visual and print culture, these works are valued for the insight they provide into the historical appearance of cities and the evolution of the urban landscape.
