"Vue d'Optique nouvelle, representant un Vaisseau en feu dans le port de Brest" — No. 18 Hand-coloured etching with watercolour on laid paper — Paris, Chereau, c. 1793–1794

A rare and fully documented 18th-century Vue d'Optique — a type of large hand-coloured engraving produced specifically for use with the zograscope, an optical viewing device with a magnifying lens and angled mirror that created a dramatic illusion of three-dimensional depth. Vues d'Optique were among the most sought-after popular spectacles of 18th-century Europe, produced in Paris, Augsburg and London for wealthy collectors and fairground entertainers alike.
This example — No. 18 in the series — depicts a dramatic naval scene: a large sailing warship engulfed in flames in the port of Brest, the principal French naval base, with billowing smoke filling the sky and surrounding vessels including frigates and smaller craft. The characteristic text at the top of the plate is printed in reverse, designed to be read correctly only when viewed through the zograscope's mirror — a defining feature of authentic Vues d'Optique.
The publisher is identified as Chereau, rue St Jacques au dessus de la Fontaine St Séverin aux 2 Colonnes n° 257, Paris, and the work is dated between 1793 and 1794. An identical impression of this very print — same series number, same title — is held in the permanent collection of the Musée National de la Marine, Paris (Inv. 2008.38.1). The technique is etching with watercolour on laid paper (papier vergé), measuring H. 34 cm × L. 54.5 cm. webmuseo + 2
Details:

Title: "18e. Vue d'Optique nouvelle, representant un Vaisseau en feu dans le port de Brest"
Publisher: Chereau, Paris, rue St Jacques, c. 1793–1794
Technique: Etching with hand-applied watercolour on laid paper (papier vergé)
Approx. dimensions: 34 × 54.5 cm (image); larger with margins
Museum parallel: Musée National de la Marine, Paris (Inv. 2008.38.1) — identical impression
Condition: Age-toned and fragile, consistent with period; framed under glass in mahogany-veneered frame
Style: 18th century French naval/maritime print — Vue d'Optique

A rare, museum-documented 18th-century naval print with direct institutional parallel, in its original period framing. An exceptional collector's piece for the maritime art or antique print enthusiast.