17th Century Map Engravings After Gerard Mercator and Jodocus Hondius
Item Details
Gerard Mercator is regarded as a pioneer in the history of cartography, especially because his calculations and maps departed from the Ptolemy model. He created his first maps in 1540 which earned him commissions from Emperor Charles V. He is especially known for his 1569 world map that utilized his groundbreaking Mercator Projection, which is considered one of the most significant advances in cartography. In the 1550s, he began his revised edition of Ptolemy’s Geographia, which was a three-volume work and the first book to be called an “Atlas.” It wasn’t until after his death that his Atlas was published, titled Atlas Sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati Figura.
Mercator’s successor Jocodus Hondius was an artist, engraver, and cartographer, and is recognized as another seminal figure in establishing Amsterdam as a central hub of 17th-century European cartography. He is especially credited for rebuilding Gerard Mercator’s reputation as a pioneering cartographer, for introducing decorative map borders in his work, and also for his portraits of Sir Francis Drake in London’s National Portrait Gallery. In the early 17th century, he republished Mercator’s work alongside many of his own maps, which are referred to as the “Mercator/Hondius series”.
| Medium on Ground | Two hand-colored engraving on paper |
| Artist (Nationality, Lifespan) | After Gerard Mercator (Flemish; 1512-1594) and Jodocus Hondius (1563-1612) |
| Title | West Morlandia…, Warwick Northampton… and Cornubia, Devonia, Somersetus…, 17th century |
| Signature | Unsigned |
| Portfolio and/or Book | Pulled from Mercator’s Gerardi Mercatoris et I. Hondii Atlas and Mercator-Hondius Atlas sive Cosmographia |
| Publisher | Originally published by Jodocus Hondius, Amsterdam |
Dimensions
- measures the sheet of West Morlandia…; plate size 16.25" W x 14.25" H; sheet size Warwick Northampton… 21.25" W x 17.75" H; plate size 18.5" W x 14.5" H; Cornubia, Devonia, Somersetus… sheet size 21.5" W x 17.75" H; plate size 18.5" W x 14.5" H.
Item #
18DCC795-022
