Description
Gmunden.
Description: Striking and highly detailed fine unusual copper engraved map featuring a bird's-eye of the city of Gmunden, Austria. The view shows the city with his buildings, churches, streets, gardens, towns walls and surrounding landscape.
COMMENTARY BY BRAUN (on verso): "Gmunden is a small town in the upper Archduchy of Austria, charmingly situated on a lake, where the Traun has its source. In Gmunden, a very profitable trade is conducted in salt, mined from the surrounding mountains, packed into barrels and exported via the Traun and sold to great profit. For this, they use small, long and narrow boats, which they roof over very skilfully with straw, so that the salt is not damaged by the rain. It is not possible to use bigger boats because of the rocks and trees posing obstacles in the Traun, which is also altogether very narrow."
Gmunden, which lies at the foot of Traunstein Mountain in the Austrian Salzkammergut region, is seen in cavalier perspective from the west shore of Lake Traunsee. Rising towards the rear of the town, which is somewhat schematic, is the Gothic parish church, with further right the Gugelberg tower on top of Gugelberg hill. The fortress of Ort in the foreground, surrounded by water, was constructed in the lake in the 10th century. Gmunden's advantageous location beside the outflow of the River Traun from Lake Traunsee meant that by the 11th century, it was already an important point of salt transhipment. In the 13th century, a turnpike was installed, and the town fortified. Gmunden continued to gain in importance and wealth into the 15th century and was the frequent residence of Emperor Frederick III and Maximilian I.
Latin text on verso.
Date: 1594 ( dated )
Dimension: Paper size approx.: cm 51,8 x 39,7
Condition: Very strong and dark impression on good paper. Paper with chains. Plate uncolored. Wide margins. Small foxing and browning. Small marginal tears. Plate folded. Conditions are as you can see in the images.
Mapmakers: Georg Braun (also Brunus, Bruin; 1541 – 10 March 1622) was a topo-geographer. From 1572 to 1617 he edited the Civitates orbis terrarum, which contains 546 prospects, bird's-eye views and maps of cities from all around the world. He was the principal editor of the work, he acquired the tables, hired the artists, and wrote the texts. He died as an octogenarian in 1622, as the only survivor of the original team to witness the publication of volume VI in 1617.
Braun was born and died in Cologne. His principal profession was as a Catholic cleric, however, he spent thirty-seven years as canon and dean at the church, St. Maria ad Gradus, in Cologne. His six-volume work was inspired by Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia. In form and layout it resembles the 1570 Theatrum orbis terrarum by Abraham Ortelius, as Ortelius was interested in a complementary companion for the Theatrum.
The Braun publication set new standards in cartography for over 100 years. Frans Hogenberg (1535–1590, from Mechelen) created the tables for volumes I through IV, and Simon van den Neuwel created those for volumes V and VI. Other contributors were Joris Hoefnagel, Jacob Hoefnagel, cartographer Daniel Freese, and Heinrich Rantzau. Works by Jacob van Deventer, Sebastian Münster, and Johannes Stumpf were also used. Primarily European cities are depicted in the publication; however, Casablanca and Mexico City/Cuzco on one sheet[4] are also included in volume I.
Frans Hogenberg (1535–1590) was a Flemish and German painter, engraver, and mapmaker.
Hogenberg was born in Mechelen as the son of Nicolaas Hogenberg. In 1568 he was banned from Antwerp by the Duke of Alva and travelled to London, where he stayed a few years before emigrating to Cologne. He is known for portraits and topographical views as well as historical allegories. He also produced scenes of contemporary historical events.
Hogenberg died in Cologne.
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