He was without doubt one of the most prominent citizens of Antwerp in the late Sixteenth century, when the city was a global trading center, “.the city of cities…”. He had wide interests in classical scholarship, spoke six languages and had reasonable command of two others. Its enduring influence and popularity can be measured by the fact that more than 40 editions (Shirley) were printed, in both Latin and vernacular versions, over half by the Plantin press.Ībraham Ortelius was a true Renaissance man Cosmographer to Phillip II, King of Spain, book dealer, cartographer, numismatist, naturalist, and historian. His success was such that four printings occurred in 1570 to meet demand, and the publication of the Theatrum launched 100 years of Dutch supremacy in cartography. Prior to this, atlases were made to order affairs, with no consistency in size or content. Ortelius was the first to engrave maps in a uniform format, specifically for this atlas, and provide uniform content. Real prosperity arrived with the publication of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum in 1570, with 53 maps. The only surviving example of this magnificent map is in the library of the University of Basel. In 1564 he completed his first cartographic production, an eight-sheet wall map of the world. Leveraging his success as well as his familiarity with maps and atlases, Ortelius became a trader in books, prints and maps, travelling widely in northern Europe to map and book fairs. He became a map colorist at the age of 19 and achieved an advanced level of skill. His father was an antique dealer of some means, and thus Abraham received a classical education including instruction in Latin, Greek and mathematics. A prudent question, quae an sit insula aut pars continentus Australis incertum, adjacent to New Guinea asks whether this large island is part of the great southern continent, or not.Ībraham Ortelius was born April 4, 1527. This belief was not entirely dispelled until McKenzie’s and Lewis and Clark’s epic overland continental journeys many generations later. The distinctive bulge in the west coast of South America has been rectified, but Tierra del Fuego still appears as a peninsula of the “Great Unknown Southern Land." The Arctic regions are separated from America and Asia by the hoped-for northwest passage, the desired shortcut to Asia with all its riches. This third, and last, plate remained in use for the remainder of the Theatrum editions, in 1612, as here. A quote from Cicero at the bottom reads Who can consider human affairs to be great, when he comprehends the eternity and vastness of the entire world? Note the cardinal spelled Septemtrio instead of Septentrio. Rather than the extensive embellishments of Mercator, Ortelius positions the world in elegant strapwork and swag, surround in the mannerist style with corner medallions featuring excerpts form Cicero and Seneca. The map was engraved in 1587, and first issued in the Latin text edition of 1592. The map is a simplified one-sheet reduction of Gerard Mercator's large world map of 1569, here in its third and final plate. One of the most famous world maps, from the rare Italian language Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. The Final World Map From the Final Edition The Renaissance Masterwork, One of the Greatest World Maps Condition: Excellent - presented here in the most mellow and attractive contemporary color we have seen, centerfold expertly reinforced, old mounting hinges at top on verso.Medium: Hand-colored copperplate engraving.
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