Views of America · 19th century
€ 440
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Condition report: Good impression with strong contrast. Marginal foxing and light handling creases, not affecting the image. Plate mark visible. Blank verso.
Antique lithograph panoramic view of Puno, Peru – 1865
This lithograph, titled Vista General de Puno, offers a sweeping view of the city of Puno in southern Peru, as published in Paris in 1865 in Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán’s pioneering Atlas Geográfico de la República del Perú. Drawn by F. Delamare and printed by H. Jacomme, the plate captures both the urban form and highland geography of one of Peru’s most significant cities.
In the foreground and midground, the viewer sees the rooftops and street grid of Puno, dominated by prominent ecclesiastical buildings, including the Cathedral with its twin towers and the church complexes that marked the colonial and early republican identity of the city. In the distance, the lithograph highlights the Andean slopes rising behind Puno, their terraced lines and winding paths revealing human presence in the rugged high-altitude landscape.
Puno, founded in the late 17th century, developed as a vital hub of trade and religious life along the shores of Lake Titicaca. By the mid-19th century, it was also associated with silver mining in the nearby district of Laikakota. Including Puno in Paz Soldán’s atlas underscored its importance as a strategic city in the Altiplano, linking Peru to Bolivia and emphasizing its role within the national geography.
Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán’s Atlas Geográfico was the first atlas of Peru, combining 49 maps and 29 views into a monumental work of national cartography and visual identity. The Vista General de Puno is among its most striking Andean panoramas, juxtaposing the built city with the immense natural surroundings of the high plateau. For collectors of Latin American art and history, this print provides a valuable document of Puno before its later growth and modernization.
Condition report: Good impression with strong contrast. Marginal foxing and light handling creases, not affecting the image. Plate mark visible. Blank verso.
Framing tips: A simple black or dark wood frame with a light cream or off-white mat will enhance the tonal contrasts of the lithograph. A wider mat will bring attention to the panoramic sweep of the city and mountains.
Technique: Lithograph
Maker: F. Delamare (artist), printed by H. Jacomme, Paris, 1863, for Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán’s *Atlas Geográfico de la República del Perú* (Paris, 1865)
