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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Jaffnapatnam by Johann Wolfgang Heydt.

Johann Wolfgang Heydt – Heydt, was a German engraver well known for his landscapes. He probably came from southern Germany & joined the services of the VOC in Amsterdam in 1733. He sailed in the Meermond which brought him to Colombo after four weeks en route, in the cape. He spent two & half years in Ceylon & had the gift of making useful friends including Governorvan Domburg who sent him to Kandy to make drawings. Early in 1737 he left Ceylon for Batavia.The section on Ceylon consists of 48 plates numbered from 48 to 95. Heydt's work has been described as "a masterpiece of German engraving of the highest significance for the study of the topography of Batavia and its environs" and this is equally true of Ceylon.

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