Author: Caspar Merian
Year: 1655
This is a reproduction print of the historical city view “Paris wie solche Ao. 1620 im wessen gestanden”, created by Caspar Merian in 1655 and depicting Paris as it appeared around 1620.
The detailed bird’s-eye view of Paris presents the early 17th-century city with its dense network of streets, buildings and fortifications. The Seine River and Île de la Cité dominate the composition, while landmarks such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and the bridges of Paris can be identified within the cityscape.
Decorative coats of arms appear above the city, while figures dressed in period clothing occupy the foreground, observing the panorama. The elevated perspective combines cartographic precision with the visual character of a city portrait, providing a remarkable record of Paris before its later expansion and transformation.
The original engraving measured approximately 47 × 35 cm and is associated with Merian’s celebrated Topographia Galliae, a major collection documenting French cities and landscapes.
