Antique Prints, Maps, & Books of Natural History, Botanicals, & More
Lot 4443:
Description
This stunning folio map is from Abraham Ortelius’s
Theatrum orbis terrarum. The work was published in 1579 in Antwerp by Plantin.
The maps have been described as "the most outstanding engravings depicting the wide-spread interest in classical geography in the 16th century." (Van der Krogt) The beautiful maps feature Renaissance-style cartouches and decorative work including vessels, sea and mythological monsters, birds, medallions, et al. Noted art historian, James A. Welu, comments on "their richness of ornamentation, [they are] a combination of science and art that has rarely been surpassed in the history of mapmaking… Ortelius’s
Theatrum is known for its numerous decorative cartouches, which undoubtedly added to the atlas’s long popularity." (Art and Cartography, pp. 145-146)
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum is widely recognized as the first modern atlas which shaped the future of cartography throughout the 17th century. It utilized text and maps to fully explore the known world. "The publication of this atlas [
Theatrum, 1570] marked an epoch in the history of cartography. It was the first uniformly sized, systematic collection of maps of the countries of the world based only on contemporary knowledge and in that sense may be called the first modern atlas." (Tooley) Frans Hogenberg also worked on the publication of this atlas.
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was one of the most influential cartographers of the 16th century. He was born in Antwerp, Belgium but traveled throughout Europe where he eventually met Mercator. Ortelius became one of the most important cartographers in history. His largest accomplishment was certainly his atlas entitled
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. He was also appointed Royal Cartographer to King Philip II of Spain.
"Although the colophon is dated 1598, this edition was published in 1613. After the death of Jan Baptist Vrients in 1611, the copperplates were sold to Jan and Balthasar Moretus, sons of Jan Moretus, who had died in 1610. From the heirs of the Amsterdam publisher Cornelis Claesz, they bought the text sheets of the Dutch
Theatrum of 1598, enough sheets to make about 145 copies, though probably not enough for the preliminary section and the end matter. In September 1613, the Moretuses received a copy of the Dutch
Theatrum to serve as a model for the setting of the new pages. The new ‘edition’ – in fact, only the preliminary matter and the end matter (including the colophon dated 1598) were newly printed – would have been published late in 1613." (Koeman’s atlantes neerlandici, 2003 : III A, 31:122)
Paper Size: ~ 21" by 16 1/2" (Fold Out)
Paper Type or Special Features: Engraving
Condition report:
The work is in good to excellent condition overall. There may be some faint offset due to fold out nature. There may be some reinforcements at the fold or edges due to age and wear. There may be a few minor imperfections or faint marks or fox marks to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.
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