Bourdeaux.

Title

Bourdeaux.

Description

A large, detailed view of the city of Bordeaux in south-western France on the River Garonne, featuring three coats of arms and ships in the foreground. Engraved by Kaspar Merian.

ca. 1650

Artist

Merian (1593-1650)

Matthäus Merian (1593 – 1650) , born in Basel, learned the art of copperplate engraving in Zurich and subsequently worked and studied in Strasbourg, Nancy, and Paris, before returning to Basel in 1615. The following year he moved to Frankfurt, Germany where he worked for the publisher Johann Theodor de Bry. He married his daughter, Maria Magdalena 1617. In 1620 they moved back to Basel, only to return three years later to Frankfurt, where Merian took over the publishing house of his father-in-law after de Bry's death in 1623. In 1626 he became a citizen of Frankfurt and could henceforth work as an independent publisher. He is the father of Maria Sibylla Merian, who later published her the famous and wellknown studies of flowers, insects and butterflies.

Historical Description

Bordeaux is a city located in the southwest of France, about 45 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean on the Garonne River, which runs through the city in a wide arc. This shape of a crescent moon gave the city its name Port de la lune (Port of the Moon). The history of Bordeaux spans a period of almost 2300 years. It is characterized by Celts, Romans, Franks and the English-French conflict. Bordeaux has belonged to France without interruption since the middle of the 15th century. Over the centuries, the city has enjoyed three periods of economic prosperity, mainly due to the strategic location of its trade and transport links. In the 5th century, Bordeaux was conquered by the Visigoths and shortly afterwards by the Franks. From 1462 to 1790, Bordeaux was the seat of the parlement de Bordeaux, which was responsible for Aquitaine and exercised legislative, jurisdictional and executive powers on behalf of the Crown. Compared to other French provinces, the standard of living in Bordeaux and the surrounding area was high. The food supply was sufficient and the city benefited from a trade network through which local wine could be exported and English manufactured goods imported. The University of Bordeaux was founded in 1441. After an intermittent decline, Bordeaux experienced its third heyday in the 18th century thanks to the flourishing Atlantic maritime trade, particularly with the Antilles. During the French Revolution, Bordeaux became the capital of the Département of Gironde. During the Napoleonic Wars, huge contingents were moved towards Spain, passing through Bordeaux among other places. During the emerging industrialization, most of the large companies settled here and in the port area. Bordeaux began to grow together with its neighboring towns.