N Amsterdam, ou N Iork in Ameriq

Allegory of New Amsterdam or New York in America. Original title: N. Amsterdam, ou N. Iork in Ameriq^~. On the left, colored engraving published about 1700 by Pieter Mortier (French/Dutch, 1661 - 1711), whose signature on the copperplate engraving appears as "P. Mortier, cum Privil". The City of New York is represented based on the Restitutio View of 1673, with some differences (enlargement and comments below). The Restitutio View was drawn to celebrate the recapture of the city by the Dutch in August 1673. The Treaty of Westminster was signed in 1674, giving the official ownership of Manhattan to the English.

The drawing upon which engraving on the left is based is on the right in reverse, made by unidentified artist (Dutch, active 17th century), apparently executed by Pieter Mortier about 1700. It was drawn with brown and black ink and wash with red chalk, white lead pigment, black chalk, and tracing impressions from a stylus on ivory paper, inlaid into a larger sheet.

Source of both drawings above: New-York Historical Society Library.

Comments from Stokes (Iconography of Manhattan Island, ... 1915) about this illustration:

«The weigh-house, as in the views from the Orbis Habitabilis (below), is erroneously placed, on the south instead of the north side of the ‘‘ Bridge,’’ and one roundout or pier is missing, probably errors in copying. It is possible that the original view from which this plate was engraved antedates that reproduced on the Restitutio Map, in which case the date of the building of the third roundout, appearing on the Restitutio View between the two here shown, would be fixed between 1670, when Lovelace’s tavern, which is also here shown, was built, and 1673, the date depicted by the Restitutio View.»

Below, the New Amsterdam at New York, the Carolus Allard View, with figures, from the topographical volume Orbis Habitabilis, published by the late 17th century. Native Americans are shown in the foreground. The City of New York, in the background, is also based on the Restitutio View of 1673. Engraved by A. Meijer. Source: NYPL.