1150 - Joseph Carmine, vue d'optique "Prager Prospect", Prague Castle entrance, Augsburg, circa 1780/1800

Joseph Carmine, vue d'optique "Prager Prospect", Prague Castle entrance, Augsburg, circa 1780/1800 (1749 – after 1822), hand-coloured engraving on paper, vue d'optique (optical view) published by Joseph Carmine, Augsburg, inscribed below the image at right "Ios: Carmine. Aug: Vind:", mirror-reversed headline title at the top "PRAGER PROSPECT.", titled below the image in French and German, in German "Prospect des Eingangs in die königliche Burg, und der Erzbischöfl: Residenz bis zur alten Reitschul in Prag.", numbered by hand upper right "5.", inscribed by hand verso "Die königliche Burg.", circa 1780/1800, view of the square in front of Prague Castle, at left the Archbishop's Palace with curved gable and figures on the attic, at right the castle front with dome and the portal with armorial cartouche and two figure groups on the gate piers, on the square staffage figures in period dress, a carriage and a dog, sky coloured blue and pink, roofs orange-red, condition commensurate with age, stained, large brown water stain verso, upper margin torn, left margin with thinned areas, image 26x36.5 cm (HxW), overall 31x50.5 cm (HxW). Vues d'optique (optical views) were made in the 18th century for viewing in a peep box with mirror, which is why the headline title is engraved in reverse. Augsburg publishers such as the Kaiserliche Akademie, Probst, Leizelt and Joseph Carmine issued series of such city views, for instance the "Augsburger Folge" of 1774 with views of their own city. Joseph Carmine, Augsburg art publisher, born in 1749 and documented until after 1822, published mainly devotional pictures and vues d'optique, including views of Berlin, Naples, Venice and Prague, as well as some maps. The square depicted is Hradčany Square in front of the entrance to Prague Castle, on which the Archbishop's Palace stands.