Monasterium/ Osnabrugum/ Wesalia Inferior.
13 ¼ x 18 ¼ inches. Mends to lower margin with no loss, very good condition. The first state of this engraving, presenting panoramic views of three great Westphalian cities: the cathedral city of Munster, the trade city of Osnabruck, and the Rhineland city of Wesel. The verso text describes the towns in some detail: with respect to Munster and Osnabruck it comments specifically on the quality of the cities’ beer. (No mention is made of the beer produced by Wesel.) It appeared in the first, 1572 edition of the first volume of Braun & Hogenberg’s Civitatis Orbis Terrarum, the earliest atlas of city plans and views ever published. The printing strike is bold and sharp, due to the youth of the copperplate at the time it was printed. The thick, high-quality paper is also characteristic of the plans and views of Braun & Hogenberg’s first edition.
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