| Reproduction Old World Map. One of the
most famous cartographers in history, Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) produced
the first modern atlas called the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the
World) in 1570, although his friend and contemporary, Gerardus Mercator
was the first to use the term atlas, twenty years later. While not a
scientific innovator, Ortelius is best remembered for his ability to gather
an immense body of existing geographic knowledge and to publish it in a
consistent and high-quality cartographic format: the atlas. As a
synthesis of many existing maps, the Theatrum's world map, for
example, was influenced by the cartography of Jacobo Gastaldi (world map,
1561), Diego Gutierrez (portolan map of the Atlantic, 1562), and, not least,
by Gerardus Mercator's 1569 world map. This fine
example of ornate cartographic style is printed on 100% cotton, carefully
hand-finished and assembled with silken hanging cord. Staffs are made
of iron with brass knobs. Imported from Italy. (See
close up detail photos below.)
Dimensions: 39¾"x28"
Shipping Weight: 5 lbs.
ITEM: Z307
PRICE: $290.00
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 Abraham
Ortelius 1528-98
Born in Antwerp, Abraham Ortelius studied Greek,
Latin and mathematics. He and his sister established a business as
book dealer and "painter of maps". Through the course of his business,
Ortelius met and encouraged many of his contemporaries in the map making
field.
After publishing a World Map in 1564, printed on eight sheets, he decided to
gather a collection of maps from among his European cartographer contacts
and had them engraved and bound in uniform size to produce the Theatrum
Orbis Terrarum.
Ortelius selected Frans Hogenberg to provide the elegant engraving for
most of the maps in the collection. The Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
was an instant success, and unlike many of his contemporaries, Ortelius
acknowledged those who contributed, citing eighty-seven different
cartographers in the first edition, many of whom would be unknown today if
it weren't for his generous gesture. Numerous editions of the Theatrum
Orbis Terrarum ensued, the final edition being published in 1612. |
DETAILED PHOTOS BELOW:
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