Kleve, Duisburg, Emmerich, Gennep – Cliviam.., Duisburgum.., Embrica.., Gennapium.. ; G. Braun & F. Hogenberg – 1575-1617

Description

Details

• Type: carthographic print
• Title: Cliviam.., Duisburgum.., Embrica.., Gennapium..
• Publication: 1575-1617
• Technique: copper engraving
• Carthographer: –
• Engraver: Frans Hogenberg e.a.
• Publiced in: Civitates Orbis Terrarum.. Liber Secundus door Frans Hogenberg en George Braun in Köln
• Printer: Gottfried von Kempen, Bertram Buchholtz, Theodor Graminaeus e.a.
• Size print:  34.3 x 49.7 cm. (13.5 x 19.6 inches)
• Size paper: 42.2 x 55.0 cm (16.6 x 21.7 inches)
• Verso: Latin text
• ID: M0300G
• Source: Koeman II B&H 2 [34]/ Taschen p. 171 / Fauser #6611 (Kleve) / #3311 (Duisburg) / #3600 (Emmerich) / #4533 (Gennep)

Condition: A

Sehr gut, dem Alter entsprechend. Mittelfalz wie ausgegeben mit breiten Rändern. Schöne Färbung. Altersbedingte Tonung und/oder vereinzelte kleinere Mängel durch Handhabung.

Very good, given age. Center fold as issued with wide margins. Beautiful coloring. Age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. 

Kleve

Translation of the title: ‘Kleve, an elegant town in the Duchy of Cleves, renowned and remarkable for the famous ducal castle and the collegiate foundation.’

This view of Kleve, seen from the direction of the Mühlberg, is dominated by the castle of the Counts and Dukes of Cleves, which has been called Schwanenburg since the 19th century after the legendary Knight of the Swan, Helias. The other building that dominates the silhouette of the city is the Gothic collegiate church of St Mary’s Assumption. In the course of the changes carried out in the 15th century, the New City, known as the Hag Quarter, was founded. When the Cleves line died out on 1614, the city passed to Brandenburg. As a residence of the Electors of Brandenburg, Kleve took on the Baroque appearance that is still largely preserved today.

Commentary by George Braun: ‘The city of Kleve in the Duchy of Cleves is highly regarded because of its age and because the Duke of Jülich, Cleves and Berg has a splendid castle here, where he holds his princely court, and also because of its collegiate church.‘

Duisburg

Translation of the title: ‘Duisburg, ancient town, old royal palace of the Franks.’

Duisburg is shown in a bird’s-eye view from the west. In the middle of the city rises the late Gothic St Saviour’s church, which dates back to the 9th century. This plate, which was faithfully reproduced by Merian even in 1647, also shows the harbour on the navigable dead arm of the Rhine, which gave the city great economic importance up to the 14th century. But in 1290, when Duisburg was pledged by King Rudolf I to Dietrich of Cleves, it lost its privileges and its imperial importance and sank into insignificance as a little farming town. The industrial revolution in the 19th century and the development of the inland port led to an economic upturn.

Commentary by George Braun: ‘Duisburg is a city in old Germany between the Ruhr and the Anger, in the old days the Rhine also flowed up to the city walls. As long as the city still bordered the Rhine, a fair was held here, which is now held in Frankfurt.‘

Emmerich

Translation of the title: ‘Emmerich, a town under the rule of Cleves, famous because of its collegiate church and a school.’

This view from the opposite bank of the Rhine shows the city of Emmerich, which is mentioned in a document for the first time in 828. The city grew up around a church erected by St Willibrord c. 700 on the site where the church of St Aldegund with late medieval sculptures. In 1233 Emmerich was granted a municipal charter and in 1407 it became a member of the Hanseatic League.

Commentary by George Braun: ‘Emmerich is a little town in the Duchy of Cleves with elegant buildings and a great religious foundation, built by St Willibrord himself. Here is a good elementary school, in which many learned men have received their basic education, for many industrious rectors have headed this school.‘

Gennep

Translation of the title: ‘Gennep, town in the Duchy of Cleves.’

Frans Hogenberg & George Braun

Frans Hogenberg (1535-1590) was een belangrijke Vlaamse etser, carthograaf en uitgever.  Hij sympathiseerde met de hervorming en vluchtte van Antwerpen naar Duitsland. In Keulen richtte hij samen met Georg Braun een cartografische drukkerij-uitgeverij op. Georg Braun (1541 – 1622) was redacteur en kanunnik van de Dom van Keulen.

Frans Hogenberg (1535 – 1590) was a Flemish painter, engraver, and mapmaker. He was born in Mechelen as the son of Nicolaas Hogenberg. By the end of the 1560’s Frans Hogenberg was employed upon Abraham Ortelius’s Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, published in 1570; he is named as engraver of numerous maps. In 1568 he was bannend from Antwerp by the Duke of Alva and travelled to London, where he stayed a few years before emigrating to Cologne. There he immediately embarked on his two most important works, the Civitates published from 1572 and the Geschichtsblätter, which appeared in several series from 1569 until about 1587.

Georg Braun (1541 – 1622) was born in Cologne in 1541. After his studies in Cologne he entered the Jesuit Order as a novice. In 1561 he obtained his bachelor’s degree and in 1562 his Magister Artium. Although he left the Jesuit Order, he studied theology, gaining a licentiate in theology.

Civitates Orbis Terrarum

Braun en Hogenberg stelden in 1572 het stadsgezichtenboek Civitates Orbis Terrarum samen. Dit boek sloeg aan in Duitsland en raakte later overal bekend. Het zesde en laatste deel verscheen in 1617.  Het is de grootste verzameling plattegronden en illustraties die ooit is verschenen. Het boek is ontstaan tussen 1572 en 1617 en bevat 363 kaarten en stadsgezichten van alle belangrijke steden in Europa en steden in Azië, Afrika en Latijns-Amerika. Ruim honderd kunstenaars en cartografen hebben meegewerkt aan deze atlas, die niet alleen plattegronden van steden laat zien maar ook afbeeldingen van mensen in hun landelijke kleding, schepen en topografische afbeeldingen van stad en land. De atlas was bedoeld als gids voor de in 1570 verschenen wereldatlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum van Abraham Ortelius die inderdaad een aantal bladen voor zijn wereldatlas gebruikt heeft.

The Civitates Orbis Terrarum, or the “Braun & Hogenberg”, is a six-volume town atlas and the greatest book of town views and plans ever published: 363 engravings, sometimes beautifully coloured. It was one of the best-selling works in the last quarter of the 16th century. Georg Braun wrote the text accompanying the plans and views on the verso. A large number of the plates were engraved after the original drawings of Joris Hoefnagel (1542-1600), who was a professional artist. The first volume was published in Latin in 1572, the sixth volume in 1617. Frans Hogenberg created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel created those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were cartographer Daniel Freese, and Heinrich Rantzau. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Cornelis Antonisz., Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used. Translations appeared in German and French.

Following the original publication of Volume 1 of the Civitates in 1572, the next volumes appeared in 1575, 1581, 1588, 1596 and 1617. The German translation of the first volume appeared from 1574 on and the French edition from 1575 on.

Several printers were involved: Theodor Graminaeus, Heinrich von Aich, Gottfried von Kempen, Johannis Sinniger, Bertram Buchholtz and Peter von Brachel, who all worked in Cologne.