Metz / dere welt Das Lxxii blat

Title

Metz / dere welt Das Lxxii blat

Description

Illustration of the city of Metz in Lorraine, France. On the reverse side are three figures: Plinius, Swetonius, and Plutarchus. From Liber chronicarum, the so-called “little Schedel,” published by Johann Schönsperger the Elder in 1497. The first major pirated edition in the history of book printing.

ca. 1497

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

Metz was founded in antiquity as a Roman city and developed into an important center of trade and administration. In the Middle Ages, Metz was a free imperial city within the Holy Roman Empire. Due to its location, the city was repeatedly contested between Germany and France and changed hands several times. After the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, Metz became part of the German Empire, but returned to France after the First World War.