PARYS WIE SOLCHE 1620 ANZUSEHEN GEWESSEN
£1800
One of the most attractive large panoramas of Paris. This example was printed in 1655 and included in Martin Zeller's 'Topographia Galliae' . It is a fine contemporary visual record by one of the great engravers of his time.
Paris is shown as seen from present-day Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, looking towards the southwest, over the Hospitale de S. Louis, to the vast but now long-vanished fortifications of Etienne Marcel, across the city, Notre Dame just left of center, the Louvre and the Tuileries gardens to the right, continuing across the Seine to the left-bank and the open countryside beyond. The foreground includes a back-view self-portrait of the artist seated on a boulder sketching.
Excellent professional hand colour
Near mint condition
Refs .
Les Plans de Paris by Jean Boutier Page 150 Ref 87
Not to be confused with the "Prosp. der Statt Parys " by Merian which is not so sought after .
code : M5636
Cartographer : MERIAN Matthaus MERIAN
Date : 1655 Frankfurt
Size : 27.5*70 cms sheet 30.5*74 cms
availability : Available
Price : £1800
Matthäus Merian der Ältere (or "Matthew", "the Elder", or "Sr."; 22 September 1593 - 19 June 1650) was a Swiss-born engraver who worked in Frankfurt for most of his career, where he also ran a publishing house.
Born in Basel, Merian learned the art of copperplate engraving in Zürich. He next worked and studied in Strasbourg, Nancy, and Paris, before returning to Basel in 1615. The following year he moved to Frankfurt, Germany where he worked for the publisher Johann Theodor de Bry, who was the son of renowned engraver and traveler Theodor de Bry.
In 1623 Merian took over the publishing house of his father-in-law after de Bry's death. In 1626 he became a citizen of Frankfurt and could henceforth work as an independent publisher. He spent most of his working life in Frankfurt.
He produced the 21-volume set was collectively known as the Topographia Germaniae. It includes numerous town plans and views, as well as maps of most countries and a World Map-it was such a popular work that it was re-issued in many editions. He also took over and completed the later parts and editions of the Grand Voyages and Petits Voyages, originally started by de Bry in 1590.
After his death, his sons Matthäus Jr. and Caspar took over the publishing house. They continued publishing the Topographia Germaniae and the Theatrum Europaeum under the name Merian Erben (i.e. Merian Heirs).
