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An Important Artistic Rendering of the Earliest Printed View of Jerusalem By The Prince of Book Restoration
Finely crafted 19th century copy of the center section of Bernard Von Breydenbach's monumental view of the Holy Land, produced by master engraver and book restorer and Adam Piliński, widely considered to be the finest artisan of his generation.
Signed by Pilinski at the bottom right.
Breydenbach's view of Jerusalem and the Holy Land was the work of the famed woodcutter, Erhard Reuwich, first published in Mainz in 1486. The view is oriented with east at the top, following the traditions of Medieval Mappa Mundi, which were so arranged to privilege Jerusalem's place in the world.
The central section of Breyenbach's view is dominated by an oversized bird's-eye view of Jerusalem, with a centrally located Dome of the Rock, erroneously labeled "Templu Salohois" (the Temple of Solomon). Jerusalem was the goal of Breydenbach's pilgrimage, and so it receives the most impressive treatment of all of the book's famous views (though Venice is a looker as well). The view of Jerusalem is taken from the east, as if the viewer were on the Mount of Olives (rather than perched over the Mediterranean), allowing Breydenbach's readers to visualize the city as Christ saw the Holy City in Luke 19:41-44. Despite this sleight of hand, the view was the most architecturally accurate of any done up to that point (that includes Medieval manuscript renditions).
Breydenbach's foremost bibliographer Hugh Davies wrote that the 1486 views “are distinguished from other woodcut views published in the fifteenth century by their air of truth as well as their liveliness, being full of groups of figures, some pursuing their everyday occupations."
The view was included in the 1486 first edition of Bernhard von Breydenbach's Peregrinatio in terram sanctam, a guide to European pilgrims to the Holy Land and one, if not the earliest, printed travel book.
Adam Piliński was a Polish engraver whose contributions to the art of reproduction and book restoration earned him recognition as a leading figure in 19th-century engraving and lithography.
The son of Jean Piliński and Anna Zagorska, Adam received his education at the prestigious Pulawy Institute under the patronage of Princess Czartoryska. In 1828, Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski facilitated his admission to the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, where he honed his artistic talents.
The failed November Uprising of 1830 forced Piliński into exile in France in 1832. Settling first in Marseille, he learned lithography before relocating to Clermont-Ferrand, where he worked as a draftsman for a surveyor.
Recommended by Princess Adélaïde and supported by Henri Lecoq and M. Brosson, Piliński secured a position as an engraver at the Museum of French History at the Château de Versailles. After returning to Clermont-Ferrand in 1844, he established a thriving lithographic studio specializing in artistic and commercial prints. His innovation extended to creating decorated notebooks for classical studies, a project that prompted him to refine his printing techniques. This endeavor brought him back to Paris in 1853.
In Paris, Piliński collaborated with Charles Capé and gained the favor of prominent bibliophiles, including the Duke of Aumale, Ambroise Firmin Didot, and Joseph Techener. He excelled in restoring incomplete books through meticulous reproductions, producing facsimiles of works such as Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Leonardo da Vinci's studies of horses, and Joinville's Credo. His techniques, collectively known as the "Pilinski process" or homéographie, involved copper and steel engravings, pen and ink drawings, and precise reproductions. These methods also benefited academic institutions like the École des Chartes.
Adam Piliński's mastery earned him admiration in his field. Henri Trianon, in Carnet d'un curieux (1870), lauded him as "the prince of book restoration," highlighting his transformation of counterfeit reproduction into a form of artistic excellence. Piliński's pioneering work bridged art and utility, enriching the preservation of historical texts and illustrations.
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