Vue de Lebanon 1824

This landscape, *Vue de Lebanon*, was etched by Charlotte Bonaparte in the early 19th century. It depicts an idyllic view of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Bonaparte’s print offers insight into the artistic interests of women of the European aristocracy at the time. As a member of the Bonaparte family, Charlotte had access to education, travel, and artistic training that would have been unavailable to women of other social classes. But, we might ask, how does the image represent the town? Does it idealize or romanticize Lebanon? Is this a local view, or one filtered through the lens of a European visitor? Answering these questions requires a look at the history of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and at the role of landscape imagery in shaping ideas of nationhood and citizenship in the United States. Such questions help us understand the painting not just as an aesthetic object, but as a cultural artifact, shaped by the social and political conditions of its time.