Bilder Sebastian Münster – Bird’s-Eye View of Trier (Situs & Figura Antiquissimae & Praecipuae Mediomatricum Civitatis Trevirensis) – Woodcut – 1550

Beskrivning

This original 16th-century woodcut offers a panoramic bird’s-eye view of the ancient city of Trier (Augusta Treverorum), one of the oldest cities in Germany. The Latin title identifies it as the principal city of the Mediomatrici, a Gallic tribe known from Roman sources. The city’s layout includes Roman monuments, medieval fortifications, churches, and winding streets, rendered in Münster’s signature stylized topographic perspective. The Moselle River is visible, curving through the landscape and anchoring the city in its historic terrain.

This print was published in the 1550 edition of Cosmographia, Sebastian Münster’s celebrated universal geography, which combined history, ethnography, cartography, and illustration in one of the most influential books of the Renaissance. The Cosmographia was printed in multiple languages and editions across Europe and shaped geographic understanding well into the 17th century.

Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and professor at the University of Basel. His woodcuts—often a collaboration with skilled craftsmen—represent a landmark fusion of scientific curiosity, humanist scholarship, and visual imagination.

Artist or Maker: Sebastian Münster

Dimensions: 34 × 44 cm

Medium: Woodcut on Laid Paper

Date: 1550 (First Edition)

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.