Caspar Merian, “Statt Gransee”, c. 1652

Caspar Merian (1627–1686)

“Statt Gransee,” c. 1652— A panoramic view of the historic fortified city of Gransee in Brandenburg, Germany, located approximately 55 km northwest of Berlin.

This engraving is of significant historical importance, as it documents Gransee’s medieval character and original fortifications before the devastating Great Fire of 1711. 

Principal landmarks (identified in the index at right):

• Die Kirche (A) – St. Marien Gothic parish church with its iconic twin towers
• Die Schule (B) – The Latin School, a centre of post-Reformation education lost in the 1711 fire
• Das Rathaus (C)— The Town Hall, symbolising the city's civic status
• Lindawsche Thor (D) – The Lindow Gate, pointing west; dismantled in the 19th century
• Zodenicksche Thor (E) – The Zehdenick Gate, the eastern exit toward the Havel River

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on laid paper with partial watermark—resembling the fletching of an arrow, consistent with paper used by the Merian workshop—and small margins. The sheet retains the original vertical centrefold as issued, now flattened with the fold lightly replenished and supported with tissue-thin (Kozo) washi paper. 

This etching is the lower plate of two printed on the same sheet facing page 57 in Matthäus Merian the Elder’s (1593–1650) “Topographia Electorat Brandenburgici et Ducatus Pomeraniae,” first published circa 1652 (see here: https://archive.org/details/dbc.wroc.pl.012564/page/n95/mode/2up). This impression is from the 1700 edition.

The impression is strong and well-printed. The sheet is in near pristine condition for its age—free of tears, holes, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 16.5 x 42 cm
• Platemark: 14.9 x 39.1 cm
• Outer image borderline: 14.5 x 38.7 cm

Plate Lettering:

• Upper centre: “Statt Gransee”
• Upper right (legend of sites lettered in image): “A. Die Kirche. / B. Die Schule. / C. Das Rathaus. / D. Lindawsche Thor. / E. Zodenicksche Thor.”
• Lower edge at centre: “C.M f”

Price & Shipping:

AU$244 (approximately US$171.51 / €149.78 / £129.38), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in this historically significant and spectacular 17th-century panoramic view of Gransee—created before the Great Fire of 1711—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold

Matthäus Merian I (designer), “Frontispiece to ‘Topographia Galliae’, Vol. 1”, 1655

Designed by Matthäus Merian I (aka, Matthaeus Merian) (1593–1650) (as inscribed in the plate [“Inventor”]) and possibly executed (based on the date of publication) by his sons, Mathaeus Merian II (aka Matthaeus Merian) (1621–1687) and Caspar Merian (1627–1686)

“Frontispiece to ‘Topographia Galliae’, Vol. 1” (folio edition of four volumes in thirteen parts), 1655 (as dated in plate [MDCLV]), published in Frankfurt [Francofverti] by Caspar Merian with royal privilege.

Etching with engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed with a small margin around the platemark, backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 30.9 x 19cm; (plate [soft impression]) 29.5 x 18.3 cm; (image borderline) 28.3 x 17.6cm.

Inscribed in plate: (upper left banderole) “Clodovaus i. R. Franc:”; (upper right banderole) “Ludovicus xiv T. Franc:”; (centre) “M. Z./ TOPOGRAPHEA/GALLIÆ./ FRANCOFVRTI,/ apud. M.D C. LV. / Cum Privilegio/ S. Cæsar. M.; (lower edge at right) “Matheus Merian. Inventor.”

Lifetime impression of 1655 before the plate was altered in 1660 to show the Amsterdam publication details for Caspar Merian and the widow of Joost Broersz (fl.c.1634–1647) (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1872-0511-1093 [BM inv. no. 1872,0511.1093]).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression (near faultless), trimmed with a small margin and laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The lower left corner of the margin has been replenished and there is minor age-toning, otherwise the sheet is in a good condition with no significant stains.

I am selling this wonderfully strong and largish frontispiece to the first of four volumes that is arguably “the most comprehensive guide to France of the 17th-century” (see https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Topographia-Galliae-MERIAN-Matthaeus-1593-1650-Martin/8523969161/bd) for AU$277 in total (currently US$177.04/ EUR167.55/ GBP1138.91 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$277) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this visually arresting etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold