Bassett, Rue Saint Jaques, Paris

Bassett Rue Saint Jaques - Original work of art by Bassett entitled Bal Chinois or Chinese Ball

Bal Chinois (Chinese Ball)

"Bal Chinois" (Chinese Ball) is an original hand-coloured engraving published by the 18th century French publisher, Bassett at Rue Saint Jaques, Paris as a 'Peepshow' print. It was designed to be viewed through special wooden cabinets that would create an effect of space and perspective for the viewer. Like many peepshow prints, Bal Chinois is rife with conflicting cultural and historical facts. Here, the Chinese orchestra seems to have borrowed most of its instruments from a French ensemble, the chandeliers seem more at home in Versailles and the dancer to the left is like a figure from the comedia delle arte. This delightful engraving is printed upon eighteenth century hand-made, laid paper and with full margins as published around 1780. It is a fine, original example of this scarce form of eighteenth century popular print.

Original Hand-Colored Engraving (Peepshow Print) published by Basset, Rue Saint-Jacques, Paris.

Chinese Ball Peepshow Print Original Engraving Published by Bassett

Bal Chinois (Chinese Ball)

View other original Engravings Created as Peepshow Prints.

Peepshow Prints
#	Image	Title & Source	Medium	Date
01-		Bal Chinois (Chinese Ball), an original Peepshow print published in Paris by Bassett	Original Hand-Colored Engraving	c. 1780
02.-		View of the Bridge of Vienna in Austria, an original Peepshow print published in Paris by Bassett	Original Hand-Colored Engraving	c. 1780
03.-		General View Paris for Use in the Optical Cabinet, an original Peepshow print	Original Hand-Colored Engraving	c. 1780

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Title:	Bal Chinois (Chinese Ball)
Publisher:	Basset, Rue Saint-Jacques, Paris
Date:	c. 1780
Medium:	Original Hand-Colored Engraving
Source:	Peepshow Print
Note:	Long before Currier and Ives, the production of popular prints flourished in France and throughout Europe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries almost every establishment in Paris' Rue Saint-Jacques was the address of a publisher or engraver for this industry. By the beginning of the nineteenth century the production and sale of popular engravings had shifted to the Palais-Royal and Rue Vivienne address.
	The long-lived family business of Basset was clearly one of the most successful in this field. It was in existence from 1720 to 1865. Their popular prints were not made to be admired as objects d'art: they were roughly engraved and rapidly colored. Most depicted views of topical interest or religious imagery and were manufactured for a mostly uncultured and unsophisticated audience. But the very popularity of these engravings insured that most were destroyed or lost after their usefulness expired. Today these valuable engravings are thus scarce and of much historic importance.
	Bal Chinois (Chinese Ball) belongs to a most interesting category of popular eighteenth century engravings -- the 'Peepshow' print. Beginning around 1750, hand-colored engravings of views or events were designed for special wooden cabinets. When the engraving was placed within this cabinet the spectator would peep through a small opening with mirrors and lenses creating an effect of space and perspective. Thus the title (as is here the case) was usually reversed. These prints were a constant attraction at fairs and carnivals and a showman would often add colorful commentary to the viewing. Fortunately this original example contains its full margins and one can see the fold marks in the corners for fitting the engraving into the cabinet.
	Like most peepshow prints Bal Chinois (Chinese Ball) is rife with delightful incongruities. The artist obviously had little contact with Chinese life and culture. Thus the Chinese orchestra seems to have borrowed most of its instruments from a French ensemble, the chandeliers seem more at home in Versailles and the dancer to the left is like a figure from the comedia delle arte.
Size:	11 1/2 X 16 1/2 (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.)
	Matted with 100% Archival Materials
Buy Now	Price: $385.00 US
Condition:	Printed upon eighteenth century hand-made, laid paper and with full margins as published in Paris by Bassett around 1780. Bearing the publisher's address to the lower left. Containing faint traces of water staining in the upper left margin else a strongly printed with fine, unfaded hand-coloring. Bal Chinois (Chinese Ball) represents a superb original example of this scarce form of eighteenth century popular print.
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