"Herderwyct", Braun & Hogenberg

Braun & Hogenberg's Civitates Orbis Terrarum or "Cities of the World" was published between 1572 and 1617. Within the six volumes, 531 towns and cities were depicted on 363 plates, providing the reader with the pleasures of travel without the attendant discomforts. Braun wrote in the preface to the third book, "What could be more pleasant than, in one's own home far from all danger, to gaze in these books at the universal form of the earth . . . adorned with the splendor of cities and fortresses and, by looking at pictures and reading the texts accompanying them, to acquire knowledge which could scarcely be had but by long and difficult journeys?" Braun and Hogenberg incorporated an astonishing wealth of information into each scene beyond the city layout and important buildings. The plates provide an impression of the economy and prominent occupations, and illustrate local costumes, manners and customs.

This fascinating sheet features two views of the port town of Harderwijk in the heart of the Netherlands. It is the only time in the city atlas that a city is shown from two angles on the same sheet. The top view depicts the town from perspective of the mainland, with nice detail of its fortifications, moat, and drawbridges. In the view at bottom, the town is shown from the Zuiderzee. Latin text on verso.

References: Fussel, p. 382.

Condition: A

On a watermarked sheet with a touch of offsetting along the centerfold.