18th Century Hand-Colored Copperplate Engraving of Bienne by Perignon

Circa 1780-1800/Switzerland

This fine topographical engraving captures the picturesque Mühlebrücke spanning the Suze river in the Swiss town of Biel, historically known as Bienne. Created during the late 18th century, such prints served as popular souvenirs for travelers undertaking the Grand Tour across Europe. The detailed architectural rendering documents the traditional timbered and stone structures that characterized Swiss urban centers of the period.

Printmaking during this era relied on master engravers who meticulously transferred topographical drawings onto copper plates for limited publishing runs. Many impressions were subsequently hand-colored with watercolors to enhance their decorative appeal for affluent collectors and domestic interiors. Today, these surviving plates offer invaluable visual records of European cityscapes before the sweeping industrial transformations of the nineteenth century.