A scarce prospect of London after Visscher

PICART, Hugues.

Profil de la Ville de Londre Cappitalle du Royaume DAngleterre.
Paris: Jean Boisseau, 1648. Two sheets conjoined, total 260 x 705mm.

A few small repairs, old ink mss. in margins.

A very rare prospect of London, engraved by Picart in 1643 for the 'Theatre des Citez, ou Recueil de plusieurs villes'.
Based on the 1616 engraving by Claes Janz. Visscher, it shows the city half-a-century before the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed it, with the skyline dominated by the Norman St Paul's Cathedral. The only bridge is London Bridge, filled with houses, its gatehouse decorated with the heads of criminals. South of the Thames the largest builds are Southwark Cathedral (St Mary Overie) and St Olave's Church. The three theatres are The Swan (1595-c.1632), The Bear Gardens (c.1546-c.1670) and, of course, Shakespeare's Globe (1599-1642, rebuilt after a fire in 1614).


Stock ID : 23297