Nuremberg

The illustraion from a French periodical is an architectural fantasy which reduces the buildings at the Tiergärtnertor to theatrical set pieces. The engraving has virtually nothing to do with topographical reality. Any European city with medieval characteristics could be illustrated in such vague terms as these. In teh publishing houses, Rouargue and his fellow illustrators had compilations of pictorial material at their disposal. From these sources, they could select their subject matter with considerable freedom of choice. Since the audience to whom these graphics were addressed would never themselves have the time and money for a sightseeing trip to Germany, the inaccuracy of such illustrations was, seemingly, hardly noticed in those days. Anyone could afford these illustrated sheets.