Very fine large scale original drawing of Manhattan

BILLING, Frederick William (1835-1914).
Panoramic View of New York City from New Jersey.
Graphite Drawing on wove paper.
Signed and dated lower right: "F. W. Billing, 1856".
19 1/4" x 48 1/2" sheet, 25 1/2" x 55" framed.

Very Fine large scale original drawing of Manhattan across the Hudson River. A truly spectacular panorama of Manhattan drawn from life in 1856 by noted German-born landscape artist Frederick William Billing (1835-1914), who settled in Brooklyn in that same year. The large view looks across and down the Hudson River from New Jersey as figures stand about the cliffs of the Palisades and Hoboken farmland in the foreground. Scant beginnings of Jersey City and Paulus Hook are seen in the lower right as the view fades into the distant Narrows. Recognizable landmarks appear on the New York side such as the Crystal Palace, Trinity Church and Castle Williams on Governors Island. A remarkable, skillfully rendered and completely original mid-nineteenth century view of New York City.