Minneapolis Institute of Art

View of Amsterdam

Cornelis Anthoniszoon; Printer: Jan Jansz.

Date

1544 (printed c. 1590)

Medium

Woodcut with letterpress

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This woodcut is the first printed map of Amsterdam. The panorama is taken from an imaginary viewpoint high above the harbor. The foreground features the brisk maritime activity that sparked the city’s growth. This image proved so popular that the twelve carved wooden blocks used to produce it were reused to produce multiple editions over the course of more than 100 years. This example was printed about 1590. Though hundreds—if not thousands—were printed, it seems that less than twenty survive today. Netherlands, Europe

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.