Stockholm Map 1720 Homann City Plan & Prospect Print - Gamla Stan, Norrmalm, Sodermalm, Lake Malaren

This vivid and highly decorative early-eighteenth-century plan of Stockholm, titled Accurater Grundriss und Prospect der Kon. Schwed. Reichs und Hauptstadt Stockholm, was produced in Nuremberg by Johann Baptist Homann around 1720, in the twilight of the Great Northern War. It gives a detailed architectural and topographical view of the Swedish capital and its surroundings, and it captures the island geography of the city at the start of the century. Homann held the title of Imperial Geographer to the Holy Roman Emperor, and he blends precise urban planning with elaborate decorative elements. The plan is a pleasing mix of survey and picture, and its cartouche and surrounding view add the ornament that Homann's customers expected.

The imperial privilege in the cartouche indicates a date after 1715, when Emperor Charles VI granted Homann that protection. The plan shows the results of the urban reforms begun in the mid-seventeenth century by Governor-General Clas Fleming. The historic core, Gamla stan, is a densely built fortified island, and to its north the district of Norrmalm shows a regular grid pattern, a hallmark of Sweden's modernization. A similar grid governs Sodermalm to the south, with gardens, estates and open spaces. The plan was typically included in Homann's Grosser Atlas, which was reissued throughout the early decades of the century.

A collector of city plans, a family with roots in Stockholm, or a traveler who loves the Swedish capital will find a vivid gift here. TheMapVault's Merian view of 1638 shows the city before the reforms, whereas this Homann plan shows it after them. Like every print in the collection, it ships unframed and is available in a full range of sizes, from a compact desk piece to a large-format statement print. It would suit a study, a hall or a library. The plan is a good fit for a collector of Swedish history.