Antique Ardabil Persia City View, Mallet Engraving, Hand Colored, 1683
A charming and highly decorative 17th-century bird’s-eye view of the Persian city of Ardabil (Ardeuil ou Ardebil), engraved by Alain Manesson Mallet and published in Paris circa 1683 as part of his celebrated work Description de l’Univers. This engraving represents one of the earliest European visual interpretations of cities in Persia, combining geographical curiosity with a refined decorative aesthetic.
The composition presents a stylized panoramic view of Ardabil, set within a softly rolling landscape. The city is depicted with remarkable clarity, showing its walls, streets, and clusters of buildings rendered in a compact and rhythmic layout. Architectural forms are highlighted with delicate hand coloring, particularly the warm red rooftops that contrast beautifully with the pale green surroundings and soft tonal sky above. A winding road leads the viewer’s eye into the city, creating depth and a sense of approach, while small foreground elements—trees, water, and terrain—add to the picturesque quality of the scene.
Above the city, a decorative banner bearing the title floats within a finely engraved sky, a typical feature of Mallet’s work that enhances both the elegance and narrative character of the image. The engraving reflects the European fascination with distant lands during the late 17th century, when such prints served as both educational tools and objects of curiosity for collectors and scholars.
Mallet’s Description de l’Univers is regarded as one of the most ambitious illustrated works of its time, offering a visual encyclopedia of the known world...
Category
Late 17th Century French Antique Engraved Wall Decorations
