Roma

Very rare perspective view of Rome by Balthasar Jenichen, published in Nuremberg in the second half of the 16th century.

Jenichen's view is derived from a woodcut published in Sebastian Münster's Cosmographia Universalis (Basel, 1550), which depicts Rome as it was around 1490 (for Münster's view see A. Frutaz, Le piante di Roma, XCVIII).

“Oriented with north down. In oblique projection; perspective view. This is a repetition of the panorama that first appeared with the Bergomensis (1490) and, with slight modifications, later repeated in the Schedel, the Munster, and other editions all inspired by the panorama, called of Mantua, and representing Rome under the Pontificate of Alexander VI. Perhaps Jenicken traces an old copperplate without ever having seen Rome, so that he fails to interpret the line of the Pantheon dome, places the Aventine near the Porta del Popolo, and here and there scatters other topographical errors. The absence of the Colosseum links the present plan more directly to the Munster” (cf. Scaccia Scarafoni, Le Piante di Roma, p. 74).

The lettering of our specimen is in Latin, while there is a copy with Gothic lettering, smaller in size. One example (ex-Pecci-Blunt collection) now in the Getty Museum, another is published in Marigliani, still another is described by Scaccia Scarafoni at the National Library in Rome.

“Upper left legends with cross-reference letters in view (A-Z). Only one other specimen is known with inscriptions in Gothic characters preserved at the Paul Getty Museum and another with inscriptions in Roman characters preserved at the BVE (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Rome). It is therefore a plan of extreme rarity and moreover graphically very refined” (cf. Marigliani, Le piante di Roma nelle collezioni private p. 121, who erroneously depicts and attributes the copy with Gothic characters to Jenichen).

Jenichen's view is unknown to Frutaz, while Hollstein describes only 2 copies in the collections of the print cabinets in Berlin and Munich. Scaccia Scarafoni describes the specimen at the National Library in Rome.

Balthasar Jenichen was the leading German publisher of topographical maps. Together with his compatriot Matthias Zündt, they were particularly interested in so-called “broad sheets maps” - born to document events - and produced several in the wake and tradition of those of their Italian publishing counterparts (Lafreri etc). Given their ephemeral nature, they are all rare or unobtainable.

The view of Rome, undated, can be traced to the period 1562-1590 based on information about the period of the artist's activity. A date around 1570 seems to us more compatible with some of the artist's - dated - topographic works.

Etching and engraving, impressed on contemporary laid paper without watermark, with margins, in perfect condition.

Very rare work.

 
Bibliografia
Scaccia Scarafoni, Le Piante di Roma, pp. 74-75, n. 129; Marigliani, Le piante di Roma nelle collezioni private, p. 121, n. 17; Hollstein XL B, p. 54, n. 150; G.K. Nagler, Lexicon, VI, p. 439, n. 2; Andresen II, Nr. 279; Passavant IV, p. 429, n. 27; Le Blanc, II, p. 429, n. 27.