![VISSCHER, Claes Jansz (1587-1652). London. [Amsterdam: c.1625].](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2018/CKS/2018_CKS_16018_0220_001(visscher_claes_jansz_london_amsterdam_c1625081728).jpg?w=1)
![VISSCHER, Claes Jansz (1587-1652). London. [Amsterdam: c.1625].](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2018/CKS/2018_CKS_16018_0220_000(visscher_claes_jansz_london_amsterdam_c1625101623).jpg?w=1)
Details
VISSCHER, Claes Jansz (1587-1652). London. [Amsterdam: c.1625].
An exceptional copy of this iconic panoramic view of London before the Great Fire, one of only two known copies of this edition, the only one in private hands, in an excellent state of preservation. With its viewpoint from the south bank of the Thames, the old St Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge dominate the central viewpoints. The Amsterdam draughtsman, engraver and cartographer Claes Jansz Visscher might never have visited London – the Tower of London boasts some rather imaginative onion-styled domes – but it is a testament to his artistic vision that this panorama combines accurate representations of buildings, streets and features, such as bridges, with a sensitivity to real-life and humour: in the foreground, the Globe theatre has non-paying audiences trying to sneak views of performances through the windows.
The present lot is the second edition: the first edition is signed 'CJ Visscher delineavit' in the lower right-hand corner of sheet 2, and was printed in Amsterdam in 1616 with the woodcut title Londinum Florentissima Britanniae Urbs Toto Orb Celeberrimum Emporiumque. Copies are located at the British Museum, Guildhall Library in London, Royal Library in Stockholm, and one in Paris; this first state is known to have a proof before text at Oxford (see Hollstein, 135).
The present engraving has the same dimensions as the first, but is completely redrawn, and printed from new plates. Hollstein 136 states that it was etched in Visscher's workshop; it is signed 'C J Visscher excudit' in a rectangle in the lower left-hand corner of sheet 1. The most notable differences from the first edition are the disappearance in the sky of the 4 winged heralds and of the cartouches at the extremities of the print, and their replacement by the royal arms and those of the City of London, and a plainer title banner. The greatest topographical change is to the river to the east of the Tower, which is greatly reworked showing what is now modern-day St Katherine's Dock. The rest of the print closely follows the arrangement of the first edition, but there are new figures to the right of London Bridge, the number and position of boats on the Thames is slightly changed, and there are many new architectural details, including an enlarged Tower of London. Some of the toponyms have also changed from the first state and are engraved with new letter-forms and orthography – Fishmongers Hall, spelled correctly in the first edition, now erroneously reads 'Eismogers hall'. We have only been able to locate one other copy of this edition at the Folger Library in Washington DC, although this bears the same woodcut title as the first edition. Therefore it seems likely the present lot is an earlier state before the title was added; this state before title is unknown to Hollstein 136. The British Library holds a third, later edition attributed to Frederick de Wit, and dated to c.1650.
Very large engraved panorama printed on 4 numbered sheets joined, second edition, extending from Garden Stairs in the west to St Olaf's in the east, unadorned title banner and coats of arms in the sky, numerous large ships in the Pool of London, and smaller water craft on the rest of the Thames, the shadows indicating afternoon with a westerly sun, 456 x 2115mm (plate mark), 485 x 2168mm.(sheet).
An exceptional copy of this iconic panoramic view of London before the Great Fire, one of only two known copies of this edition, the only one in private hands, in an excellent state of preservation. With its viewpoint from the south bank of the Thames, the old St Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge dominate the central viewpoints. The Amsterdam draughtsman, engraver and cartographer Claes Jansz Visscher might never have visited London – the Tower of London boasts some rather imaginative onion-styled domes – but it is a testament to his artistic vision that this panorama combines accurate representations of buildings, streets and features, such as bridges, with a sensitivity to real-life and humour: in the foreground, the Globe theatre has non-paying audiences trying to sneak views of performances through the windows.
The present lot is the second edition: the first edition is signed 'CJ Visscher delineavit' in the lower right-hand corner of sheet 2, and was printed in Amsterdam in 1616 with the woodcut title Londinum Florentissima Britanniae Urbs Toto Orb Celeberrimum Emporiumque. Copies are located at the British Museum, Guildhall Library in London, Royal Library in Stockholm, and one in Paris; this first state is known to have a proof before text at Oxford (see Hollstein, 135).
The present engraving has the same dimensions as the first, but is completely redrawn, and printed from new plates. Hollstein 136 states that it was etched in Visscher's workshop; it is signed 'C J Visscher excudit' in a rectangle in the lower left-hand corner of sheet 1. The most notable differences from the first edition are the disappearance in the sky of the 4 winged heralds and of the cartouches at the extremities of the print, and their replacement by the royal arms and those of the City of London, and a plainer title banner. The greatest topographical change is to the river to the east of the Tower, which is greatly reworked showing what is now modern-day St Katherine's Dock. The rest of the print closely follows the arrangement of the first edition, but there are new figures to the right of London Bridge, the number and position of boats on the Thames is slightly changed, and there are many new architectural details, including an enlarged Tower of London. Some of the toponyms have also changed from the first state and are engraved with new letter-forms and orthography – Fishmongers Hall, spelled correctly in the first edition, now erroneously reads 'Eismogers hall'. We have only been able to locate one other copy of this edition at the Folger Library in Washington DC, although this bears the same woodcut title as the first edition. Therefore it seems likely the present lot is an earlier state before the title was added; this state before title is unknown to Hollstein 136. The British Library holds a third, later edition attributed to Frederick de Wit, and dated to c.1650.
Very large engraved panorama printed on 4 numbered sheets joined, second edition, extending from Garden Stairs in the west to St Olaf's in the east, unadorned title banner and coats of arms in the sky, numerous large ships in the Pool of London, and smaller water craft on the rest of the Thames, the shadows indicating afternoon with a westerly sun, 456 x 2115mm (plate mark), 485 x 2168mm.(sheet).
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Robert Tyrwhitt