Saint Paul's from the South Showing the Spire (Ecclesiae Paulinae Prospectus...) (from William Dugdale, "The History of St. Paul's Catherdral in London," 1658)

Art Historical Context

Behold *Saint Paul's from the South Showing Spire*, a meticulous 1657 etching by the masterful Bohemian artist Wences Hollar, featured in Sir William Dugdale's seminal *The History of St. Paul's Cathedral in* (1658). This first-state impression captures the Gothic splendor of the medieval St. Paul's Cathedral as seen from the south, its towering spire piercing the London skyline—a view forever lost just nine years later in the devastating Great Fire of 1666. Hollar's work served as vital historical documentation, preserving the cathedral's intricate facade, flying buttresses, and bustling foreground activity for posterity. As a pioneering topographical etcher, Hollar employed fine lines and subtle tonal variations in this 10¼ × 13⅞-inch plate to achieve remarkable detail and depth, evoking the cathedral's grandeur amid everyday 17th-century life. Printed on laid paper, the etching's technical precision reflects Hollar's Baroque-era skill in rendering architecture with documentary accuracy, making it a cornerstone of English printmaking. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Leo Steinberg, 1991), it offers visitors a poignant glimpse into London's pre-fire heritage, bridging art, history, and urban evolution.

About the Artist

Wenceslaus Hollar|Sir William Dugdale · 1607–1677

Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) was a prolific Bohemian etcher who became one of the most accomplished printmakers of the seventeenth century. Born in Prague, he trained under Matthäus Merian in Frankfurt before entering the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, in 1636. Hollar spent most of his career in England, where he produced approximately 2,740 etchings documenting an extraordinary range...