Panorama of pre-fire London: From the Palace of Whitehall to St Katherine's Church looking from Southwark. Based on views by Claes Visscher (1616) and John Norden (1600) with key, royal arms and arms of the City. Framed.

Merian depicts London as it was at the beginning of the 17th century during the reign of James I and before the Great Fire of 1666 largely decimated the medieval City. Based on views by Claes Visscher (1616) and John Norden (1600) the panorama extends on the northside from the Palace of Whitehall to St Katherine's by the Tower and on the northside from Paris Gardens to beyond St. Olave’s.

St Paul’s Cathedral is shown without its steeple, which was struck by lightning in 1561 and nearby on the waterfront is the Earl of Shrewsbury’s ill reputed Coleharbor House known as the Devil’s Sanctuary, the Steelyard base of the Hanseatic League in London and Lion Quay one of the most important quays near to London Bridge, all of which were destroyed in the Great Fire. London Bridge is shown with its many buildings, the last of which was demolished in the 1760s and at the south end Stone Gate is adorned with traitors' heads impaled on spikes, a practise that began in 1306 with William Wallace and ended around 1678 when displays were moved to Temple Bar. The Globe Theatre, the Swan Theatre and the Bear Garden are clearly marked at Bankside but with the Swan and Globe in swapped locations and just by the Tower of London there is an incorrect north bend in the Thames.

Born in Switzerland in 1593, Matthaus Merian studied engraving in Zurich and then travelled throughout France before moving to Frankfurt. There he gained a position in the successful publishing house of Johann Theodor de Bry, the leading German engraver of his time, eventually marrying his daughter Maria. Merian became one of the most significant publisher/engravers in Germany during the early 17th century and his panorama of pre-fire London is one of the finest published during that time and since.