MAP, Rhodes, Greece, Bruyn

Rhodes, Greece. Cornelis de Bruyn, Rhodus, from Reizen door de vermaardste Deelen van Klein Asia, 1700 (circa). Hand Color. A finely engraved view of the Greek island of Rhodes, depicting the Old Town with fortifications beside a row of windmills. Numerous ships and boats sail the sea. Rhodes is famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Cornelius de Bruyn (1652-1726) was a Dutch artist who traveled through the Holy Land and other portions of Asia. De Bruyn had to disguise his activities because this was a repressive period during the Ottoman rule when foreigners were regarded with suspicion and the making of "graven images" was prohibited. De Bruyn avoided detection by pretending to be picnicking with two Franciscan monks who stood guard while he made his drawings. His works are particularly historically valuable because of their accuracy.
Dimensions: 8.4 x 24.6 in
Condition Report: A crisp impression, issued folding, with minor toning and light foxing mostly confined to the blank margins. There are some dampstains along the far edges of the sheet. Grade: A