Gebenna / Sexta etas mundi Foliu CXXII

Title

Gebenna / Sexta etas mundi Foliu CXXII

Description

Depiction of the city of Geneva in Switzerland; the reverse side shows four depictions of prophets, philosophers and kings. Printed by Anton Koberger in Nuremberg in 1493.

ca. 1493

Artist

Schedel (1440-1515)

Hartmann Schedel (1440–1515) from Nuremberg is best known for the 1493 publication of the Schedel’s World Chronicle (Liber chronicarum), a universal history featuring 1,809 woodcuts—making it the most richly illustrated book of early printing. The chronicle, written in Latin by Schedel for merchants Sebald Schreyer and Sebastian Kammermeister, was translated into German by Georg Alt and printed by Anton Koberger. The illustrations came from the workshop of Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. The work covers world history up to 1492/93, divided into eight ages of the world, and draws on numerous sources, including Jacobus Foresta and Enea Silvio Piccolomini. Notably, it features highly accurate city views, many depicted in detail for the first time. Pleydenwurff introduced a new perspective by portraying cities from a fixed viewpoint, emphasizing their unique architectural and landscape features. The project was funded in part by the patron Sebald Schreyer.

Historical Description

Geneva was a fortified border town of the Allobroges against the Helvetii in the Celtic period. It came under Roman rule around 120 BC. From 400 to 1536 it was a bishop's see, and in the fifth and ninth centuries it also functioned as the seat of the Burgundian kings. In 1526 Geneva joined a confederation of cities together with Bern and Fribourg. The French reformer John Calvin founded the Geneva Academy, now the University of Geneva, in 1559. From 1540 to 1700, Geneva had become an important refuge and new home for Italian and French Protestant refugees. The immigrant families, however, were not only a burden for the city, but also a social and economic enrichment through their education and knowledge in silk production and trade and in the art of watchmaking, which they brought with them and settled in Geneva and the surrounding area.