Rue Quincampoix in the Year 1720
Antoine Humblot (French, d. 1758)
1720
Etching and engraving
During the Mississippi Bubble’s heyday, trading took place on the rue Quincampoix in Paris. This print, from The Great Mirror of Folly, is based on an engraving by Antoine Humblot commemorating the street as a hub of chaos, lust, and criminality, as well as of unprecedented social mixing. The Dutch version includes foreboding rope nooses, along with placards indicating various commercial schemes as well as the emotional states of those investing in them. At right, a man is apprehended by the police, even as he passes a purloined object to his companion; at center, a woman flirts with a man while appearing to steal his wallet. From a window at left, John Law himself eyes the mayhem. The chiming bell above announces a dealer’s intention to sell.
: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries.
