Saint Paul's, South side (Ecclesiae Cathedralis St. Pauli, A Meridi Prospectus) (from William Dugdale, "The History of St. Paul's Catherdral in London," 1658)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite etching, titled *Saint Paul's, South sideEcclesiae Cathedralis. Pauli, A Mer Prospectus)*, captures the south facade of London's Old St. Paul's Cathedral as it stood in 1658. Created by the masterful Bohemian etcher Wenceslaus Hol for Sir William Dugdale's seminal book *The History of St. Paul's Cathedral in London it offers a precise topographical view, complete with heraldic coats of arms that highlight the cathedral's ecclesiastical prestige. Hollar's intricate line work renders the Gothic architecture—its towering spire, arched windows, and bustling foreground—with remarkable clarity, making this first-state impression (before later revisions) a prized document of 17th-century printmaking. Printed just eight years before the Great Fire of London razed the medieval cathedral in 1666, the image holds profound historical significance as one of the most detailed visual records of the structure, which had dominated the city's skyline since the 11th century. Dugdale, a pioneering antiquarian, commissioned Hollar's illustrations to preserve the cathedral's legacy amid fears of decay and urban change. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this 8 7/16 x 11 1/4-inch sheet invites visitors to envision a lost architectural marvel, blending artistry with cultural memory.

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...