Hand-Colored Woodcut City View of Groningen 1573 from Münsters Cosmographia

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Groningen 1573 — Hand-Colored Woodcut City View from Münster’s Cosmographia : This rare and evocative 16th-century hand-colored woodcut presents a … Read more Groningen 1573 — Hand-Colored Woodcut City View from Münster’s Cosmographia : This rare and evocative 16th-century hand-colored woodcut presents a panoramic view of the city of Groningen, shown from west to east in the year 1573. The fortified city rises above the surrounding Frisian landscape, with its churches, towers, gates, and waterways carefully delineated and identified by lettered references. Above the skyline, a decorative banderol bears the title “GROENINGA – M.D.LXXIII,” giving the view both authority and visual drama. The composition reflects the transitional moment between medieval city imagery and early modern cartographic thinking. Groningen is depicted not merely as a symbolic city, but as a structured urban entity embedded in its landscape, with roads, rivers, fields, and suburbs clearly articulated. The hand coloring enhances legibility and adds warmth, bringing emphasis to rooftops, waterways, and the surrounding green countryside. This print originates from Cosmographia Universalis by Sebastian Münster, one of the most influential geographical works of the 16th century. First published in Basel in 1544, Münster’s Cosmographia appeared in some thirty different editions during the 16th century, making it the most widely read of the world in Renaissance Europe. The present view comes from editions published between 1573 and 1628 by Henricus Petri and his successors. City views from Münster’s Cosmographia are particularly prized, as they combine scholarly ambition with vivid visual storytelling. The Groningen view is notable for its clarity, its detailed legend (A–V, arranged in four rows beneath the image), and its strong sense of place at a time when the northern Netherlands were entering a period of profound political and religious change. Today, this woodcut is highly sought after by collectors of early Dutch city views, Renaissance cartography, and Northern European history. Its graphic strength, historical depth, and original hand coloring also make it a striking and intellectually rich work for interior display, well suited to libraries, studies, or curated wall arrangements.

Condition report: Good condition for its age. Even age-related toning, with visible wear consistent with a 16th-century book illustration. Some minor stains and handling marks. Text printed on both sides, as issued. Few old scribblings on the back. Please study the image carefully.

Technique: Hand-colored woodcut Maker: Sebastian Münster, published by Henricus Petri, Basel, circa 1573 See less