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The woodcut shows the third siege
of Zurich of 1354 with a cavalry battle outside the city walls.
The borrowed image depicts the attacking army with Asian helmets and scimitars.
The foremost rider lies slain on the ground, others turn away and ride off.
It was not unusual to use battle scenes in changing contexts - Münster uses the
same image to illustrate the Cimbrian war of 110 BC.
The third besiege of Zurich started July 25, 1354 and was abandoned after eight
days. The conflict had arisen in connection with a newly introduced guild order,
which enforced the city's self-government against the nobility and church
authorities.
The verso shows Duke Albrecht II (1298-1358) of the Habsburg dynasty, who was
the army commander against Zurich.
The present print is taken from the 1588 edition of Münster’s Cosmography.
Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) was a cosmographer and professor of Hebrew. He
made himself the center of a large network of scholars from whom he obtained
geographic descriptions, maps, and directions.
Beautiful late Gothic style with minute details for the battle. Early Baroque
style for the portrait of Albrecht II.
Laid paper, woodcut
Basle, edition of 1588 AD
18 cm (7.1 in), 17 cm (6.7 in)
Clear print on laid paper. Paper lightly browned, leaf trimmed.
80 USD
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