Matthäus Merian, one the greatest engravers and publishers of the 17th century was born in Basel, Switzerland on September, 22, 1593.

Among his most renowned works were his engraved cityscapes.

In his time, Matthäus Merian was one of the most prolific creators and publishers, not only in Germany, but in the whole of Europe, which allowed him to employ experienced printmakers for his commercially successful projects, whose numbers grew constantly. On the other hand, he frequently and consciously reduced the usual trio of signatures seen on prints – the creator of the original work, the executive printmaker and the publisher – down to his own name, endowing it with the status of a company brand, and thus the work of his colleagues remained anonymous. That is also probably the chief reason why we do not know who originally created the work. We can only assume that the original was an older work, as in its year of publication the Castle was undergoing the “Pálffy reconstruction” (1635–1649) and was being rebuilt with as a castello, with a similar outline to the one it has today. 
POFIS – Catalog – Products – ART: Matthäus Merian (1593 – 1650)

View of Pressburg by Matthäus Merian
Issued by Slovakia in 2021
Souvenir sheet was designed and engraved by Rudolf Cigánik 
The original copper engraving was done in 1638. 

Slovakia also released a great First Day Cover (above) with Merian’s self portrait, and a numbered black and white print.

Matthäus Merian the Elder was an influential Swiss-born engraver and publisher of the 17th century. His most famous works include topographical views of cities such as Frankfurt, Basel and Strasbourg, as well as detailed illustrations of insects, plants and animals. His work is known for its accuracy and attention to detail, and as such, it has had a lasting influence on the world of botanical illustration. Merian was an important figure in the development of the art of copperplate engraving, and his work is highly regarded by art and culture historians.
 “Anna Lombardi. ‘Matthäus Merian The Elder.’ Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=41199 (Accessed on September 21, 2025)”

You can see more of his works here Matthäus Merian the elder – Artvee.

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