"Rhodus", Bruyn, Cornelius de

A finely engraved view of the Greek island of Rhodes, depicting the Old Town with fortifications beside a row of windmills. Numerous ships and boats sail the sea. Rhodes is famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Cornelius de Bruyn (1652-1726) was a Dutch artist who traveled through the Holy Land and other portions of Asia. De Bruyn had to disguise his activities because this was a repressive period during the Ottoman rule when foreigners were regarded with suspicion and the making of "graven images" was prohibited. De Bruyn avoided detection by pretending to be picnicking with two Franciscan monks who stood guard while he made his drawings. His works are particularly historically valuable because of their accuracy.

References:

Condition: B+

Issued folding, with a few minor spots and some light soiling in blank margins.