Amsterdam, Zaandam – Von Wiebeking + Susemihl, 1798

HYDROGRAPHIC MAP OF THE IJ AND THE ZAAN REGION IN THE FRENCH PERIOD

“Der IJ Strom vor Amsterdam und der hijdrographische Grundriß der Stadt / Karte der äußern Zaane” [The IJ river before Amsterdam and the hydrographic plan of the city / map of the Outer Zaan], copper engraving made around 1798 by Johann Conrad Susemihl after the design of Carl Friedrich von Wiebeking, published as part of “Allgemeine auf Geschichte und Erfahrung gegründete theoretisch-practische Wasserbaukunst“. Coloured by a later hand. Size (plate mark): 44 x 66 cm.

This finely executed map depicts the hydraulic-engineering situation around Amsterdam at the end of the eighteenth century. The focus lies on the IJ and its connections with the Zaan region and the Zuiderzee. At lower left, Amsterdam is shown with its fortifications and characteristic concentric canal belt, while the large inset on the right highlights the mouth of the Zaan river near Zaandam. At the top, cross-sections illustrate the depth and bank structure of the IJ.

The map was designed by Carl Friedrich Ritter von Wiebeking (1762–1842), a German hydraulic engineer with a strong focus on the Rhine basin (and thus the Dutch delta). His Allgemeine Wasserbaukunst is regarded as a standard work, in which he gathered examples of hydraulic works from across Europe, supported by historical knowledge and personal experience. Amsterdam and the Zaan region were of particular importance to him as prime examples of advanced Dutch water management and navigation infrastructure.

The engraving was executed by Johann Conrad Susemihl (1767–1847), a German engraver and draftsman who collaborated extensively on Wiebeking’s publications. The combination of planimetric representation, detailed maps, and cross-sections demonstrates the systematic approach Wiebeking advocated in his work: not only mapping urban and regional water structures, but also the technical profiles of banks and dikes.

Price: Euro 375,-