Antique Maps & Prints of Natural History, Botanicals, & More
Lot 5876:
Description
This historic map from Abraham Ortelius is entitled
Presbiteri Iohannis. It was part of Ortelius’s atlas entitled
Theatrum orbis terrarum. The atlas was published in Antwerp, Belgium in 1592.
The map is of Central Africa and depicts the Christian kingdom of Prester John, a mythical king with a long cartographic history, believed to be a stronghold against the “barbarians” and an ally of the Crusaders. The kingdom of Prester John was originally placed in India by Waldseemüller in 1507, and more than a decade later, in 1522, it was relocated to Africa by Gemma Frisius and Ptolemaic sources.
The map encompasses the African continent, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of southeastern Asia. The surrounding seas are depicted with rough waves and sea monsters. In the lower left corner, a large sailing ship and an Egyptian dhow firing a cannon are illustrated, while the title in the lower right is framed within a cartouche adorned with busts and floral details. Several large text blocks are distributed across the map, including a seventeen-line panel in the upper left corner enclosed in a cartouche with heraldic arms, attributed to Prester John as noted on the map.
A key feature of this map is the Nile River, depicted flowing through northeastern Africa (Egypt and Sudan). Sixteenth-century cartographers differed in their representations of the Nile’s source in Central Africa, often showing two lakes connected by a legendary mountain range, the “Mountains of the Moon.” In this example, Ortelius follows the Ptolemaic model, showing the Nile branching from two lakes—a large central lake, Cafates, and a smaller northern lake. He reintroduced the Mountains of the Moon, which Giacomo Gastaldi had removed in his 1564 map.
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.
Paper Size: ~ 21 1/4" by 16 1/4" (Fold Out)
Paper Type or Special Features: Engraving
Condition report:
The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. There may be some faint offset due to fold out nature of the engraving. There may be a few minor imperfections or faint marks to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.
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