1865 Guesnu Engraved View of Paris, France

This is the extremely rare 1865 Guesnu / Chardon bird's-eye view of Paris, France. This is the 'new' Paris, transformed by the Haussmann renovations - celebrated by many, cursed by others. This view stunningly captures the changes by exaggerating the perspective of the new avenues and grand new buildings.

A Closer Look

The view looks east on Paris, from a high point above and to the west of the Arc de Triomphe. It highlights the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the Palais des Tuileries, and the Louvre. The foreground and middle ground of the view are enlarged in perspective to emphasize the Arc de Triomphe. Haussmann's grand tree-lined ray-like avenues are evident throughout the city. The Seine appears at right, with its many bridges, some new. Pedestrians fill the avenues and the Place de la Concorde, with its famous Luxor Obelisk.

Haussmann Renovations

In the mid-1860s, Paris was undergoing a dramatic transformation under the direction of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, the Prefect of the Seine appointed by Emperor Napoleon III. Haussmann's ambitious urban renewal project aimed to modernize the medieval city, replacing narrow, winding alleys with broad, straight boulevards lined with neoclassical stone buildings. The initiative sought to improve sanitation, reduce traffic congestion, and render the city more aesthetically pleasing. This period of renovation also witnessed the construction of major landmarks like the Paris Opera. While the sweeping changes were celebrated by many for modernizing Paris, they also led to the displacement of numerous residents and small businesses, causing significant social upheaval and debate about the nature and purpose of urban planning.

Publication History and Census

This view was composed and engraved by Marie-Hilaire Guesnu and printed by Charles Chardon. There is a more common variant of this view in which the Arc de Triomphe is more proportionally sized. It was updated and reissued in a significantly smaller format in the 1870s. We see no records of the present view.