ticketsMember | Make a donation

A South West View of the City of New York, in North America

ca. 1768
Not on view
Published in London in 1768, this prospect of New York was made when the city was under British control. Pierre Canot based his engraving on a drawing that Thomas Howdell, a Royal Artillery captain, made about 1763. The view looks south from a point near the present intersection of Henry and Montgomery Streets on the Lower East Side. The hill in the foreground was called Mount Pitt. At left is the East River, with Nutting (now Governor's Island) and Staten Island in the distance. The city appears at right. In 1765 New York's population had reached about 12,500 and streets were being laid out as far north as Collect Pond, a primary water source near what is today Foley Square. Beyond were pleasure gardens and burial grounds then estates, farms, and villages.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: A South West View of the City of New York, in North America
  • Series/Portfolio: Scenographia Americana, or a Collection of Views in North America and the West Indies
  • Engraver: Pierre Charles Canot (French, Paris 1710–1777 Kentish Town, London (active England))
  • Artist: After Captain Thomas Howdell, of the Royal Artillery (British, active New York 1763)
  • Publisher: John Bowles (British, 1701?–1779) London
  • Publisher: Robert Sayer (British, Sunderland 1725–1794 Bath)
  • Publisher: Thomas Jeffreys (British, ca. 1719–1771)
  • Published in: London
  • Date: ca. 1768
  • Medium: Etching and engraving; probably second or third state
  • Dimensions: plate: 14 1/8 x 20 1/2 in. (35.9 x 52.1 cm)
    sheet: 17 11/16 x 24 3/16 in. (44.9 x 61.4 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Charles Allen Munn, 1924
  • Object Number: 24.90.42
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Petite Marine Angloise, Pierre Charles Canot French, Etching
Petite Marine Angloise
Pierre Charles Canot
Jean Pillement
1761
Coast View with the Embarkation of Carlo and Ubaldo, Pierre Charles Canot French, Etching
Coast View with the Embarkation of Carlo and Ubaldo
Multiple artists/makers
1744
Dogs and Still Life, Pierre Charles Canot French, Etching and engraving
Dogs and Still Life
Multiple artists/makers
1778
Dogs and Still Life, Pierre Charles Canot French, Etching and engraving
Dogs and Still Life
Multiple artists/makers
1778
South West View of the City of New York in North America, Pierre Charles Canot French, Etching
South West View of the City of New York in North America
Pierre Charles Canot
Captain Thomas Howdell, of the Royal Artillery
late 18th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.