The FIRST STATE, FIRST EDITION of one of Braun & Hogenberg’s classic plates issued in the first volume of the ‘Civitates Orbis Terrarum …’ This birds-eye view of Venice is extremely attractive and depicts the city at the height of its powers. The city is recorded in great detail and is derived from the magnificent huge woodcut by Jacopo de Barbari measuring 1350 x 2820 mm. published in 1500 of which only eleven examples survive. This image is more closely related to Paolo Forlani’s version published in 1566. The commercial activity of the city is shown by the large number of vessel’s plying their trade in and out of the Venetian houses. The lower central image depicts an official procession of the Venetian Doge; it is flanked by 153 entries of notable places keyed to the view. A separate table lists the 35 canals in the city. Cassini ‘Piante e Vedute Prospettiche di Venezia (1479-1855) no. 18; Fauser (1978) 14690; Goss (1992) pl. 55; Koeman (1967-70) II B & H 1 no. 43.