Die Statt Franckfurt am Mayn.

About this piece

A hand-coloured panorama of Frankfurt am Main from the 1588 German edition of Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia, published in Basel by Sebastian Petri. The Main opens a wide channel through the centre of the image. Dense red roofs fill the banks, while a bridge, boats and waterfront buildings draw attention to the river’s place in the life of the city.

Above the town, two red-framed keys flank a large double-headed eagle. The labels are part of the pleasure of the sheet, linking the broad panorama to individual sites on the ground. The woodcut reaches from the crowded streets out to fields and distant hills. On the reverse, German letterpress is headed by a large blackletter title and accompanied by a small heraldic image.

The paper shows discolouration and spotting, a visible middle fold and some wear at the edges. The blue of the river and red of the roofs remain distinct in the hand colouring.