Gezicht op het Palais Schwarzenberg in de omgeving van de stad Wenen 18th century

This print, made by Basset around the turn of the 19th century, shows the Palais Schwarzenberg near Vienna. It's a ‘Vue d’optique,’ or ‘perspective view,’ intended to be seen through a special viewing device. The technique here is key. The image is not unique, but made using a printing plate, allowing for multiple identical impressions. Each would be hand-colored. Look closely and you can see the crisp lines of the engraving, alongside the delicate washes of color. This combination of mechanical reproduction and hand-finishing is typical of printmaking at this time. The print would have been relatively affordable. These images were made for a rising middle class, eager to participate in a visual culture that had previously been exclusive to the aristocracy. So, while the print depicts the Palais Schwarzenberg, a symbol of elite power, it was also part of a broader democratization of art, enabled by reproductive technologies. It’s a fascinating example of how materials and making processes can embody social change.