Gezicht op Grenoble - Nicolas Perelle

A detailed seventeenth-century etching by Nicolas Perelle, documenting the topography and landmarks of Grenoble against an Alpine backdrop.

This etching by Nicolas Perelle provides a detailed topographical view of Grenoble, a city situated within the French Alps. Perelle, a member of a family of engravers active in Paris during the seventeenth century, produced numerous prints documenting urban centres and rural sites. His work often combined technical precision with a clear, systematic approach to spatial representation.

The composition is divided into distinct planes. In the foreground, a solitary tree frames the scene, providing a sense of scale against the distant mountain range. The middle ground features the city of Grenoble, rendered with careful attention to its architectural profile. The artist includes a numbered key at the bottom left, which corresponds to specific landmarks such as the Maison du Roy, the hospital, and the cathedral of Notre Dame. This cartographic element reflects the period interest in documenting geography and urban development.

The background is dominated by the jagged silhouettes of the surrounding mountains, executed with fine, controlled lines to suggest atmospheric distance. The sky remains largely unworked, allowing the focus to rest on the city and its natural setting. Below the image, a descriptive text in French provides historical context regarding the city, referencing its Roman origins and its status within the province of Dauphiné. The inclusion of the publisher's address, 'A Paris chez Pierre Mariette', indicates the print was intended for a commercial market interested in travel and geography. This piece is a representative example of seventeenth-century French printmaking, where the marriage of artistic skill and informative documentation served the growing curiosity of the public regarding the wider world.