Johann Daniel Herz Senior
City of Jerusalem

City of Jerusalem
Late color printing, 69.5x104 cm

A Bird’s-eye View of the City of Jerusalem with Scenes from the Passion of Christ.

JOHANN DANIEL HERZ (1693–1754, Augsburg)

Herz was a very prolific engraver who participated in prominent large-scale projects such as Paul Decker’s monumental Architectura civilis (1711–16) and Johann Elias Ridinger’s New Equestrian Skills.

The city is surrounded by a high wall with battlements and picturesque towers. Inside these fortifications, we can make out a fantastic urban microcosm of Eastern palaces, temples, amphitheaters and all sorts of other structures which are rendered in a careful and highly detailed engraving technique. Thousands of tiny figures populate the streets and squares of the city and occupy themselves in all sorts of ways. We see a gladiatorial combat, people out for a stroll or seeking diversion or engaging in everyday pursuits. The artist has cleverly inserted the individual scenes of the Passion story in this chaotic labyrinth, omitting not a single episode.

This produces a curious effect, as the painstakingly depicted scenes seem almost lost against the overwhelming backdrop of architecture and massed humanity and take place simultaneously at various locations in the maze of city streets.