Superb, Rare View of Istanbul with Tri-Lingual Verses

"Constantinopolis", Jonghe, Clement de

This is a very rare view of Istanbul from De Jonghe's atlas of city views. Drawn from Matthaus Merian's famous view of the city in a slightly different format, it shows the city skyline along with quaint scenes of every-day life, including hunters with their dogs in the near foreground. The title is engraved on a ribbon in the sky, with an additional title (Constantinopolitanae Urbis Effigies ad Vivum Expressa) in the top margin. Tri-lingual poetry lauding the city (in Latin, Dutch and French) and a key to the engraving are below the view. Clement de Jonghe (1624-1677) was an Amsterdam map publisher and illuminator, with a shop on the Calverstraat at the sign of the Gekroonde Kornstkaert, or Crowned Embellished Map. De Jonghe also compiled and sold atlases, only a few of which have survived.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) T.JON-1a #37.

Condition: A

A superb, dark impression on a bright sheet with a couple of creases adjacent to the centerfold.