Rhine Maps

The original Rhine panorama - as "bird's eye view“

The inspiration for the Rhine leporello was based on the work of a talented female artist of the nineteenth century. As Sattler (1993) relates: basing her work on sketches she had made the talented Frankfurt artist Elisabeth von Adlerflycht produced the earliest known panorama of the landscape along the river Rhine.

In 1811 the hobby painter Elisabeth von Adlerflycht (1775-1846) made a trip along the Rhine and made preparatory drawings during the journey which she later turned into a fascinating , colour drawing of the river landscape between Bingen and Coblenz (or Koblenz). The particular style she chose, known as a bird's eye view, was not new but had never been used for this river before and the angle of approximately 45° allowed a continuous image and representation of the relief of this part of the Rhine valley (freely translated from Sattler).

It was the publisher Johann Friedrich Cotta in Stuttgart who, in 1822,prepared publication and had the lithograph executed by Karl Keller (1775-1853) of Stuttgart (see Holzhäuer, 2002, p. 40).

Maria Rebecca Elisabeth von Adlerflycht (née Riese, 1775-1846) was a student under the Frankfurt painter Johann Daniel Bager, well-known for his still life paintings as well as portraits. Elisabeth married Justinian von Adlerflycht in 1797. Although she produced her original drawing in 1811 it was not until 1822 when it was printed. This was probably as a result of the drawing being "discovered" by either J F Cotta, a prominent Stuttgart publisher, or his son George, who later married the daughter, Sophie v. Adlerflycht (see Holzhäuer p. 36).

A. 1. Elisabeth v. Adlerflycht 1822

Loose sheet, recently framed as shown. Initial cost 10 years ago or more (without shipping and frame) €2000.

Das Rheinthal von der Mündung von der Nahe bis zur Mündung der Mosel. Lithograph shows the Rhine from Rüdesheim (below) to Coblenz (top) with Bingen centrally bottom. Two signatures: Elisabeth v. A. (bottom left) and Lithogr. V. Keller (bottom right).

Has only the Mosel bridge at Coblenz and a primitive boat-bridge.

The stone on which the central, coloured section was printed became cracked at a very early stage and this can be seen when the map is inspected closely with a magnifying glass. Some time later a line of text was added at Braubach. Hence there are three distinct versions of the map sheet. Extra text was added leading to 2 different states.

States

1A. No crack is discernible crossing the Ruppertsberg (lower left)

1B. Hairline crack noticable crossing the Ruppertsberg from north to south.

2A. Addition of text just above Braubach (upper right) – Capelle wo Kaiser Wenzel entsezt wurde. See Sattler quoted in Holzhäuer, 2002.

Size

Sheet is approx. 670 x 400 mm (Sattler has Kreidelithographie 85 x 60 cm): Map area is 510 x 220 mm. No views, text directions take up all the remaining space between map and border. Scenes of water nymphs (representing sources of Mosel, Lahn and Nahe rivers) in three corners and Father Rhine bottom right.

Rheinlauf 18 Graphischen Sammlung des Kölnischen Stadtmuseums (if original has been severely trimmed, otherwise may be a later copy) and Kart. 28064 – Kartenabteilung der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (1B). Batten copy is 1B as illustrated below.

Flüsse im Herzen Europas R46.

Sattler, Rheinpanoramen A1 / 3A[1]