Laurie and Whittle

A General View of the City of Madrid the Capital of the Kingdom of Spain

16 x 10 inches

An etching in vibrant original hand colour; published by Laurie and Whittle in London in 1794.

This sweeping panoramic view of Madrid is taken from the opposite banks of the Manzanares River. Dominating the skyline to the left is the historic fortress, the Royal Alcazar, built on the site of the Royal Palace that replaced it. Market gardens occupy the view over to the right behind which we can see an impressive array of church towers, steeples and domes. On the riverbank, admiring the view, are a well-dressed crowd of sightseers, some of whom are taking trips on the river in pleasure boats.

At this time, under the rule of the Bourbons, the Spanish Empire extended right down the western coasts of both North and South America and incorporated much of the Caribbean and the Mexican isthmus. Consequently they were a very wealthy and powerful nation and much of this wealth returned home to rebuild and redevelop cities like Madrid.