Italy - Pozzuoli, the Phlegraean Fields with the islands of Ischia and Procida in the background; Braun - Hogenberg - Nullus in orbe locus Baiis praelucet amoenis - 1581-1600

Iconic and spectacular copper engraving taken from the celebrated "Civitates Orbis Terrarum" by Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg (published in Cologne from 1581). Based on on-site drawings by the great artist Joris Hoefnagel, the plate offers a splendid panoramic view of the Phlegraean Fields, with the coast of Pozzuoli and Baia and the island of Ischia in the background. The work is universally known for its exceptional decorative graphic design: the marine view is framed by a sumptuous Renaissance festoon rich in fruit, plant elements and putti. At the bottom, on the sides of a large basket of fruit, there is a rich Latin descriptive legend (letters A–X) identifying the monuments and Roman antiquities of the Phlegraean area, accompanied by a dedication from Hoefnagel to his friend Abraham Ortelius. An impression printed on contemporaneous laid paper, enriched with a splendid and vivid period coloring. An extraordinarily rare piece of great museological importance for the cartography of Southern Italy.

Dimensions 41.5 x 55 cm
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