"Irenico Polemographia sive Theatri Europaei Continuati Septennium...", Merian, Matthaus

Matthaus Merian's 21-volume history of Europe was published over an incredible 103-year span from 1635 to 1738. The title pages and frontispieces symbolized the ravages of war and the costs of victory. This is the title page to the seventh part of Merian's Theatrum Europaeum, first published in 1663, which covered the period between 1651 and 1658. The engraving is centered on a bust of Emperor Leopold I atop a pedestal bearing the title. Surrounding the sculpture are allegorical figures, including a winged Father Time with his scythe. Below is a vignette of a naval battle.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) G.MERI-7a.

Condition: A