Original antique map by Mathius Merian, a reduction of Blaeu's map of South East Asia.
Merianwas aSwiss-bornengraverwho worked inFrankfurt, Germanyfor most of his career, where he also ran a publishing house.
Born in Basel, Merian learned the art of copperplate engraving in Zürich. He next worked and studied in Strasbourg, Nancy, and Paris, before returning to Basel in 1615. The following year he moved to Oppenheim, Germany where he worked for the publisher Johann Theodor de Bry, who was the son of renowned engraver Theodor de Bry.
In 1623 Merian took over the publishing house of his father-in-law after de Bry's death. In 1626 he became a citizen of Frankfurt and could henceforth work as an independent publisher. He spent most of his working life in Frankfurt.
Merian's best works are his town views, praised for their accuracy and now of immense historical value as they form a valuable record of European life in the early part of the 16th century.
