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A View General of the City de Havana of Amerique. Vue Generalle de la Ville de Havanne en Amerique
Hand-colored engraving depicting a view of Havana, Cuba from Arnoldus Montanus' 'De nieuwe en onbekende Weereld' (Amsterdam: Jacob van Meurs, 1671). A Spanish galleon almost engulfed in a cloud of smoke in the foreground unloads cargo and men onto a smaller boat. Depictions of other small boats, fortifications, buildings, churches, and a chain across the mouth of are harbor are in the background.
This perspective view of Cuba was a "vue d'optique," or a type of popular print published in Europe during the 18th century. These prints were viewed through a device called an "optical machine" or "optique." Hence, the image title at the top is printed in reverse.
