1720 Cleric and Poilly Wall View and Map of Lyon, France

An extremely rare monumentally proportioned 1720 view of Lyon, foodie capital of France, by François Cleric and François Poilly. The view presents Lyon as seen looking west at the quays from the eastern bank (north is to the right) of the Saone River. Both the left and right sides of the view are framed by pedestrian bridges, with the Fourviere and its church rising in the center background. The foreground presents a bustling port scene, with wine barrels being unloaded, fine ladies being transported in palanquins, a regal carriage full of important travelers, dogs, beggars, and even an agitated fellow who seems to have fallen off his horse. The urban center of Lyon appears across the river with embankments giving way to tiered buildings many of which no doubt have survived into modern times. A key to the more important buildings appears in the lower left and right quadrants of the image below the decorative border. A drapery supported by putti in the upper left names local potentates and historical figures.

For the past 80 years or so Lyon has been considered the gastronomic capital of France, and by extension, the world. In 1935, famed French food critic Maurice Edmond Sailland (Curnonsky), generally known as the 'Prince of Gastronomy,' described the city of Lyon as the 'world capital of gastronomy'. Lyon has the unique advantage of being surrounded by the finest raw materials obtainable in France. Nearby regions like Savoy, Charolais, Dombes, Drôme, and Ardèche supply the city with fresh fish, pork, game, vegetable, fruits and more. Wine from Beaujolais and the Rhone Valley complete the picture.

This view is quite rare. There are no records in the OCLC. There is one known example in the British Museum and at least two in private collections. It was reproduced in the second part of the 19th century and most surviving copies can be traced to that issue. The present offering is the original c. 1720 printing and truly a once in a lifetime acquisition opportunity.