France - French Flanders; Matthäus Merian (1593–1650)...

A rare and imposing combination of two historical views of the important fortresses of Artois, titled respectively "ARIEN" in the upper section and "ARRAS - Atrecht" in the lower section. This splendid copperplate engraving on copper was executed by the famous Swiss-German master Matthäus Merian (1593–1650) and printed in Frankfurt by his heirs in 1659 for the monumental descriptive work Topographia Germaniae Inferioris. The horizontal composition is divided into two refined linear panoramas with exceptionally high documentary and aesthetic detail. The upper view describes the urban horizon of the city of Aire-sur-la-Lys (known by the historical Flemish and German toponym Arien), laid out on the plain and dominated by the impressive Gothic profile of the Saint-Pierre Collegiate Church. The lower view offers the spectacular fortified panorama of the city of Arras (also indicated by the Flemish name Atrecht), shown with its formidable bastioned walls, the pointed roofs of civil buildings, windmills, and the spires of the churches. The foreground is enriched with figures of knights and travelers in period dress, which give the scene great dynamism. Printed on magnificent 17th-century laid paper, this sheet represents a masterpiece of Baroque urban iconography, ideal for elite collectors of historic views and cartography of northern France. Dimensions 32 x 55 cm Will be shipped by courier

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