Paesi Bassi / Francia - Cambrai (Cambray); Braun - Hogenberg - CAMBRAY. - 1601-1620

Splendid 16th/17th-century prospect view of the fortified city of Cambrai (Cambray) in the Spanish Netherlands, engraved on copper by Braun and Hogenberg, from the rare Italian-text edition on the reverse and preserved in a magnificent original inking.

This fascinating and elegant panoramic view of the historic city of Cambrai is a noted graphic art work born from the famous collaboration between publisher Georg Braun and engraver Frans Hogenberg. The specimen boasts exceptional collectible value and documented rarity on the market due to the verso of the sheet, which bears the original historical-descriptive text printed in antique Italian. This fundamental typographic detail certifies the absolute belonging of the sheet to the highly sought-after issues of the Teatro delle Città del Mondo printed in Antwerp between the late sixteenth century and the early seventeenth century to meet the purchase demands of the great patrician families and educated collectors of the Italian peninsula.

The visual composition superbly describes the urban and defensive impact of Cambrai, considered one of the most imposing and strategic strongholds in the Spanish Netherlands. The city skyline emerges with extraordinary descriptive finesse from the surrounding plain, with the massive Gothic spires of Notre-Dame Cathedral, the towers of Saint Martin and Saint Aubert, and the civic town hall tower, each identified by graceful contemporary inscriptions in French. On the right portion of the sheet, the powerful, geometric fortress structure built by order of Emperor Charles V is mapped with engineering rigor. The lower-left foreground is pleasantly animated by two passers-by in rich period dress conversing, accompanied by a hunting dog along a rural path that leads to the city gates, conferring extraordinary perspectival depth to the scene. The specimen is presented in overall excellent condition, printed on sturdy contemporaneous paper with a watermark, characterized by a sharp, deep black impression with strong contrast, and broad, sound margins on all four sides of the sheet.

Dimensions: 32 x 39 cm
Will be shipped by courier