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A series of maps based upon the work of Claudius Ptolemy were paired by Munster with his own modern maps from the 16th century. In the Second Century A.D. Ptolemy was the librarian at Alexandria, the greatest center of learning in the Classical world. Ptolemy wrote two major works, the Almagest, an account of the heavens, and the Geographia, the first atlas of the world. The latter consisted of Ptolemy's compilation of all known geographic information, including instructions for how to make maps. Rediscovered in the middle ages, the Geographia had a huge impact on the awaking western European mind. Ptolemy opened up to view large parts of the unknown world to an audience just starting to explore beyond its narrow horizons. His structure for making maps, with longitude and latitude, and his usual northern orientation for the maps, became the standard from then right up to the present. Such was the impact of Ptolemy's work that even in the sixteenth century, a millennium and a half after it was produced, when Ptolemy's geographic conceptions were known to be wrong, maps based on these conceptions were issued time and again.
Gerard Mercator (1512-1594) ranks as one of the greatest cartographers in history, not only for the extremely fine maps he produced, but also for the innovations which he introduced into cartographic science, including the "Mercator projection." Through his constant accumulation of new geographic and cosmological data, Mercator was able to produce the most accurate and current maps of his day, which unlike most of his contemporaries' maps were mostly original work. His maps not only are excellent cartographically, but they are aesthetically superb as well, with beautiful cartouches, silken seas and other exquisite ornamentation. Mercator intended to produce a complete description of creation, heaven, the earth and the seas, a project he was only beginning when he died. Such was his influence that the title he chose for this projected work, "Atlas," has now become the generic name for all collections of maps.
Jodocus Hondius (1563-1611), who shared a vision similar to Mercator's, took up Mercator's ambitious project after the latter's death, purchasing Mercator's plates in 1604 and publishing a series of editions of the Mercator-Hondius Atlas, beginning in 1606. This series of constantly updated atlases reflected Hondius' continued pursuit of geographical knowledge and craftsmanship in order to produce a superior work.
A lovely seventeenth century map of the Greece by Frederick de Wit. De Wit followed in the footsteps of the earlier Dutch cartographic publishers Jansson and Blaeu, and like them, he issued maps known for their beautiful engraving and hand coloring. Detail is dense and accurate, with the political regions and islands distinguished by the attractive hand colored borders. This map shows the entire Greek peninsula and the myriad Greek islands, including Crete. A elaborate and highly decorative title cartouche is placed in the lower left corner, with a classical figure surrounded by objects representing the arts and knowledge of the ancients. $1,100
Georg Matthäus and Albrecht Carl Seutter. "Neu und yerbessertes Ungarisches Kreigs……" [Serbia, Romania] From Atlas Minor. Augsburg: G.M. Seutter, 1744. 7 5/8 x 10 1/8. Engraving by T.C. Lotter. Original hand color, with uncolored cartouche as issued. Very good condition.
A beautiful map of Southeastern Europe from Georg Matthäus Seutter's Atlas Minor. Seutter entered the cartographic world in 1697 as an apprentice to Johann Baptist Homann, but he soon set up his own flourishing map business in Augsburg. He was so successful that he was appointed as the Geographer to the Imperial Court. His son, Albrecht Carl, joined his father and eventually inherited the business. The maps from this atlas were drawn by the two Seutters and were engraving by Tobias C. Lotter, who later took over the business from Albrecht. This map, typical of German output, is highly detailed and engraved with a bold hand. Equally strong is the original hand color in the body of the map. The cartouche was left uncolored in order to emphasize the elaborately detailed illustrations for which German maps are especially prized. This is one of the most decorative and interesting maps of the mid-eighteenth century. $225
Jean Janvier. "Turquie d'Europe et Partie de Celle d'Asie divisee par grandes Provinces et Governemts." From Atlas Moderne. Paris: Jean Lattré & Delalain, ca. 1775. 12 x 17 1/4. Engraving. Original hand color. Very good condition.
Jean Janvier was a French cartographer who worked in Paris in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Among his output were some fine maps which appeared in Jean Lattré's Atlas Moderne. This atlas contained maps of all parts of the world engraved by Lattré, the "Graveur Ordinaire du Roi." Janvier's maps contained the best information available at the time. An etched baroque title cartouche graces the map in the lower left corner. $300
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