Wejherowo - Boy/Bensheimer, 1665 Year.

Bird's-eye view of Wejherowo and the surrounding calvary; above, title:
"CALVARIA ET VIA DOLOROSA PASSIONIS D.N. IESU CHRISTI PROPE CIVITATEM WEIHEROPOLIM"
At bottom left, signature of engraver: Ad. Boij Delineavit; below the engraver:
Joan. Ben∫heimer Sculpt. Gedan. 1665
In lower right corner, extensive dedication to Primate Kazimierz Mateusz Czartoryski from Jan Mateusz Judycki(1603-1667)
Top left: distance marker; top right: list of places.
Decorated with the coats of arms of, among others: King John Casimir, Pope Alexander VII, Primate Kazimierz Florian Czartoryski, the city of Wejherowo.
Original copperplate etching, 17th century, measuring 33.7 x 43.7 cm on a sheet 39.4 x 51.6 cm.
Composition according to a drawing by Adolf Boy (1612-after 1686), court painter to John III Sobieski, executed by Johannes Bensheimer (active from about 1655-1695).
Extremely rare polonicum depicting the Calvary of Wejherowo.
Wejherowo (as Wejherowska Wola) was founded in 1643 by Malbork voivode Jakub Wejher, while it was granted town rights in 1650. At the same time, a calvary was designed, for the creation of which permission was obtained in 1649. The construction of most of the chapels was completed by 1655. In 1661 Pope Alexander VII issued a bull giving a plenary indulgence to visitors to the calvary, thanks to which the number of pilgrims increased. Jakub Wejher, together with his family and friends, began to implement the project. Due to the Polish-Swedish war, the initiator did not live to see the finalization, and finally the work was completed only in 1666.
The author of the dedication, Jan Mateusz Judycki, was a friend of the founder, he helped design the town and the calvary, among other things he founded one of the chapels.
Condition: paper yellowed, soiled, tears and staining in the margins, traces of gluing to cardboard on the back, minor creases on the atlas fold.
Bibliography: Talbierska J., "Grafika XVII wieku w Polsce", Warsaw, 2011, p.80.
Rarity!