Joseph and Pharaoh – Antique Vue d’Optique by Probst, c.1770

Optica Print of Joseph Sold to Potiphar in Egypt, circa 1770 – Architectural Vue d’Optique by Georg Balthasar Probst This highly detailed hand-colored *vue d’optique*, titled "Madianitae vendebant Iosephum Putiphari in Aegypto Pharaonis Camerario" (The Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, officer of Pharaoh), is a compelling visual retelling of a biblical episode from the Book of Genesis. Produced around 1770 in Augsburg by the noted printer Georg Balthasar Probst, this print illustrates Joseph’s arrival in Egypt and his sale to Potiphar by the Midianite traders, who had acquired him from his brothers. This scene continues the dramatic biblical narrative of Joseph and is part of a series of *vues d’optique*—optical perspective prints intended for viewing through a zograscope, a lens device popular in 18th-century Europe. These prints were made with reversed titles at the top to accommodate mirrored viewing, giving a striking sense of depth and realism to the architecture and figures. Georg Balthasar Probst (1732–1801), active in Augsburg, was one of the most prolific publishers of such perspective prints, known for combining biblical storytelling with vivid architectural fantasy. In this composition, the setting is an imagined classical Egyptian city rendered in a European neoclassical style, featuring grand palaces, arcades, columned porticoes, and tiled courtyards. At the lower right, the Midianite merchants bargain with Potiphar, who inspects Joseph with curiosity. The background is filled with bustling market activity, town buildings, and richly dressed figures, offering depth and narrative complexity. The presence of multiple architectural elements—balconies, domes, and checkerboard flooring...

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