Lot n° 49
Estimation :
30000 - 50000
EUR
[Sixteenth-century book]. [Atlas]. ORTELIUS (Abraham). Theat - Lot 49
[Sixteenth-century book]. [Atlas]. ORTELIUS (Abraham). Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Antwerp, Christophe Plantin, 1579. In-folio (47 x 31 cm.), [10] f. (including title and engraved portrait of Ortelius), 93 double-page engraved maps with text printed on recto, 77-[9] p., monastic sow-skin binding on wooden boards, boards decorated with a set of cold roulettes, antique gilt-metal clasps, spine skilfully restored (numerous wormholes on the upper board, a few on the lower board, flaws on the inside including deft restorations and a few small wormholes).
First edition of the Theatrum printed by Christophe Plantin at Ortelius' expense, and the first with the Parergon (instead of the Synonymia locorum, which was published separately in 1578).
Abraham Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, first published in 1570, is considered the first modern atlas, marking a turning point in Renaissance cartography. Initially comprising 53 maps, it evolved to incorporate new data while harmonizing formats and styles from a variety of sources, and recognizing their authors in an unpublished catalog. Translated into several languages, the atlas was a huge commercial success, helping to spread geographical culture in Europe and setting a model for later atlases thanks to its standardized format and unified presentation.
This edition features: a handsome engraved architectural title showing the five allegorical female figures of the continents, with Europe at the top, Asia and Africa on the sides, America and the bust of Magellanica representing terra incognita or the unexplored virgin land at the foot the dedication to Philip II of Spain by Ortelius, eulogistic poems. Catalogus Auctorum with 127 names, engraved portrait of Ortelius, 93 double-page maps after Ortelius' drawings, including a world map and the four continents engraved by Franz Hogenberg, and 3 maps of the Parergon engraved by Jan Wierix. The maps are followed by Nomenclator Ptolemaicus and De Mona Druisdum Insula, a description of the islands of Anglesey and Man by English geographer Humphrey Llwyd (ca. 1527-1568).
Twenty-three maps have been added since the previous edition printed by Gillis van den Rase in 1575, including the first three maps of the Parergon. A highly personal work by Abraham Ortelius, this supplement to the Theatrum illustrates the widespread interest in classical civilization and geography in the 16th century. Between 1579 and 1598, Ortelius himself drew the 38 maps of the Parergon and wrote the text; it is considered the first historical atlas.
Plantin printed 500 copies of this 1579 edition, the first on June 12, 1579, followed by a second run the same year. The present edition belongs to the second run.
18th c. handwritten note under map 82 about the Russian Empire. Long handwritten note on verso of map 91 (Voyages de Saint Paul).
Handwritten bookplates and modern stamp on title page.
(Van der Krogt 31:021 31:022).
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