Sixty years ago, Anne Brown acquired five hand-colored engraved transparencies from a dealer in Maine. These date from the late 18th century and were probably published in Vienna. Some of them may have been engraved by Georg Balhazar Probst. Known as Vues d’Optique, they were displayed in a back-lit box containing a candle and a convex lens designed to enhance the depth perception as well as illuminating parts of the scene. This was achieved by cutting-out sections while painting over other parts on the back. They depict the following:
1. An indoor scene with a large number of attendants and spectators in mourning dress and military uniforms, at an investiture of the Holy Roman Emperor.
2. An outdoor night scene by and after Johann Hieronymus Löschenkohl (1753-1807) showing a Turkish commander surrounded by a military escort, titled ‘Der Bascha u. Novi wird am 3ten Oct. 1788 um zu Capituliren zum G.F.M. Baron v. Loudon geführt‘.
3. An outdoor military scene in Prussia, showing soldiers in foreground kneeling, while mass is celebrated under a canopy near a flowing scene.
4. The death of F.M. Lt. Gen. Prince Fürstenburg at the battle of Stockach, 26th March 1799.
5. A bird’s eye view of the Siege of Gibraltar, by Probst.
Recently two additional prints by Probst have been acquired depicting naval battles.
For further details of Vues d’Optiques, see Devices of Wonder (Getty)