Cleveland Museum of Art

The Optical Viewer

Frédéric Cazenave

Date

c. 1793

Medium

Chalk-manner etching and engraving

Culture

France, 18th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In this print, a fashionable woman and a boy look at prints through an optical viewer known as a “zograscope.” This form of entertainment, popularized during the 1700s, was equipped with a concave lens that made images appear three-dimensionally. Special prints called vues d’optiques , or “perspective views,” were designed to enhance the sense of three-dimensionality, creating an immersive experience. Most of the scenes depicted cities or memorable occurrences, allowing the spectator to witness important sites and events from the comfort of their own home. Optical devices frequently appear in Louis Léopold Boilly’s work.

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