PARYS 1654
£595
Beatiful and detailed plan of Paris from Merian's Topographiae Gallae, published in Frankfurt in 1655.
The plan is printed on the diagonal, with north in the bottom right. Hospitale de S.Louis, founded by King Henry IV (1553–1610), King of France and Navarre, in 1607 to relieve the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris during the plague, shown to the lower left, just outside the vast but now long-vanished fortifications of Etienne Marcel. Across the city to the southeast The Bastille overlooks the Canal Saint-Martin. Notre Dame is just left of center, the Louvre Palace and the Tuileries gardens to the west. The plan continues across the Seine to the left-bank and the open countryside beyond.
Stunning hand colour
Very good condition
Reference: Plans de Paris by Jean Boutier 89 Page 152
code : M5594
Cartographer : MERIAN Matthaus MERIAN
Date : 1655 Frankfurt
Size : 35*42.5 cms sheet size 40*46 cms
availability : Available
Price : £595
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).
