Views of Prague & Egra[ Cheb]

Braun & Hogenberg. Prague. Egra. Praga Bohemiiae Metropolis... Egra Urbs.... Cologne G. von Kempen 1575
Black and white, copper engraved views of Prague and Cheb 2 views on 1 plate, from the first volume of Braun & Hogenberg's Civitas Orbis Terrarum. French text to verso.
The splendid first illustration of Prague shows the royal city from the southeast, in its natural setting in the VLtava Valley, which has cut its way deeply between the surrounding hills. On the left lies the all-dominating Hradcany castle complex from the 9th/10th centuries, beneath which is the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana), which is linked to the Old Town (Staré Mesto) by the magnificent Charles bridge with its massive towers at each end. In the Old Town itself, the Gothic Teyn church with its twin towers can be recognized near the town hall. Above the Old Town and beneath the New Town (Nové Mesto) lies the old Jewish Quarter (Josefov). From the second half of the 14th century onwards, under Emperor Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV, Prague was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Prague University, founded in 1348, was the first German-speaking university. By around 1600 Prague had a total of 60,000 inhabitants, although its various districts were officially combined into a single metropolis as late as 1784. ...

The view [ of Egra Cheb] in cavalier perspective from the opposite bank of the River Ohre shows the well-fortified town with its all-dominating imperial palace from the 12th century and the Gothic hall church of SS Nicholas and Elizabeth.
Cheb was originally built as an imperial palace by Emperor Barbarossa and in 1277 became an imperial city. Two important treaties were negotiated here: the Golden Bull of Eger of 1213, in which King Frederick II granted the German bishops the freedom to elect their own prelates, and the 1459 Peace of Eger, which determined the border between Bohemia and the Electorate of Saxony.. . [Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.88.] Good impression; light toning and soiling, mainly to blank margins; old strengthening at foot of centre fold; traces of wax to each side margin of view of Egra.

The "Civitas Orbis Terrarum" of Georg Braun and Frans Hogenberg was the first systemstic city atlas, possible intended to compliment the "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum "of Abraham Ortelius published in 1570.

There is strong evidence that Braun, Hogenberg and Ortelius discussed the planned work, although some scholars believe it was influenced by Sabastien Munster's "Cosmographia"
R A Skelton in his introduction to the facsimile edition [ 1965] puts the case f for the "Theatrum " of Ortelius being the model for the work ( "(it) is made abundantly clear by the similarity between the two works in title, in format and in the layout and serial order of the plates and text"
First publishe in 1572 in Cologne just two years after Ortelius' " Theatrum" it was published in six volumes in the years between 1572 and 1617.
Georg Braun [1541-1622], Canon of Cologne Cathedral wrote the preface for all but the last volume and also the text accompanying each plan or view on the verso.
The plates were engraved by Frans Hogenberg and Simon Novellanus after the original drawings of Joris Hoefnagel[1542-1600] who travelled with Ortelius through Italy and also made extensive travels through France Spain and England
Following the death of Frans Hogenberg the plates were engraved by Abraham Hogenberg, believed to be his son.
Jacob Hoefnagel continued the work of his father following his death, particularly the Austrian and Hungarian cities. Other notable contributers were Heinrich Rantzau with maps and plans of northern Europe, especially Denmark and Jacob van Deventer's plans of cities in the Netherlands. .

Braun corresponded with mapsellers and scholars throughout the world and it was his idea to include the figures of local inhabitants in the foreground of the plans and views, This was not just to add "Local colour" but believing the work could be of refence for Military use, particularly by the Turks. the insertion of images of the human form. specifically forbidden by Islam, was intended to prevent this.
Keoman 2; B&H 13, [plate 30]. 338 by 474mm (13¼ by 18¾ inches).   ref: 3223  €750