Lot #: 49549
Ortelius's "Parergon" or "Atlas of the ancient world." in stunning original colors
Parergon, in quo Veteris geographiae aliquot tabulae.
| Maker: | ORTELIUS, A. | |
| Date: | Antwerp, ca. 1603 | |
| Colored: | In attractive original colors. | |
| Size: | 430 x 300 mm / 16.9 x 11.8 inches | |
| Condition: | Folio. Contemporary vellum, richly gilded boards, with renewed spine. Engraved title, 33 maps of the Ancient World, 2 plates with costumes, 3 views ("Tempe", "Daphne," and "Escorial"). All plates are dark, with strong impressions and very attractive, strong original coloring. | |
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Description
Ortelius's Atlas, "Parergon" or "Atlas of the ancient world," in stunning original colors. In 1579, Ortelius published his first Parergon (a series of maps illustrating ancient history, sacred and secular).
Koeman mentioned the Parergon of Ortelius: This atlas of ancient geography must be regarded as a personal work of Ortelius. For this work he did not, as in the 'Theatrum', copy other people's maps but drew the originals himself, which were later engraved by Jan Wierix …
The maps in the Parergon have to be evaluated as the most outstanding engravings depicting the widespread interest in classical geography in the 16th century. In its final form, the Parergon was printed in 1642 as a separate book by Balthasar Moretus and was also bound together with the 1612 Latin Theatrum (P. van der Krogt, Atlantes Neerlandici, volume 3,31:055)
The volume contains a full suite of maps illustrating the ancient world, including the Roman Empire, classical Greece, and Biblical regions. All maps are original, contemporary, hand-colored, exceptionally well preserved, and vibrant throughout. The engraved title page is richly decorated with allegorical figures and classical motifs. Latin text on verso.
For the history of cartography, the Parergon matters because it shows how Renaissance geographers used maps to test and display classical learning.
Vrients’s edition kept that project in circulation until the plates passed to the Moretus brothers after his death in 1612. The map "Alexandri Magni Macedonis Expeditio" is one of the Parergon’s best-known maps. It shows Alexander’s conquests in the Middle East and Persia, extending to the Indus I, with Alexander’s fleet and a small sea monster in the northern Indian Ocean.
An inset at lower left shows the Oracle of Jupiter Ammon in the Libyan Desert. The oasis is Siwa, in western Egypt.
Ortelius drew on classical authors including Archelaus, Diogenes, Pliny, Ptolemy, Livy and Plutarch. A coin portrait of Alexander ornaments the lower right text cartouche.
Reference: Van den Broecke 180-232 / Van der Krogt IIIA, 31:053
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1898)
Abraham Ortel, better known as Ortelius, was born in Antwerp and, after studying Greek, Latin, and mathematics, started his career as a cartographer. Later, together with his sister, he became a seller of books, prints and maps.Abraham Ortel, better known as Abraham Ortelius, was born in Antwerp and, after studying Greek, Latin, and mathematics, started his career as a cartographer. Later, together with his sister, he became a seller of books, prints and maps.
Traveling widely, especially to the great book fairs, his business prospered and he established contacts with the literati in many lands. On one such visit to England, possibly seeking temporary refuge from religious persecution, he met William Camden, whom he is said to have encouraged to produce the Britannia.
A turning point in his career was reached in 1564 with the publication of a World Map in eight sheets of which only one example is known: other individual maps followed and then - at the suggestion of a friend - he gathered together a collection of maps from contacts among European cartographers and had them engraved in uniform size and issued in 1570 as the Atlas of the Whole World.
Although Lafreri and others in Italy had published collections of 'modern' maps in book form earlier, the Theatrum was the first uniformly sized, systematic collection of maps and can be called the first atlas, although that term itself was not used until twenty years later by Mercator.
Abraham Ortelius became the Royal Cartographer to Philip II, King of Spain. Philip sent him a gold necklace worth one thousand ducats. He died on 28 June 1598 at age 71.
Map coloring
At age 19, Abraham Ortels' name appeared in the register of the guild of St Luke as "afsetter," or colorist of maps and prints. He appears to have reached a very advanced level of skill in this craft, as some customers kept insisting on buying atlases he colored himself, even after he established himself as a publisher and cartographer/merchant.
Ortelius was never married and lived with his sister Anna, a situation that remained unchanged throughout his life.
Real prosperity came with the publication of his atlas in 1570, and his sister Anne took over coloring and remained a competent colorist for the rest of her life. Incidentally, children did most map coloring at this time.
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This item is available for immediate purchase when a "Add to Cart" or "Inquire Now" button is shown.
Items are sold in the EU margin scheme
Payments are accepted in Euros or US Dollars.
Authenticity Guarantee
We provide professional descriptions, condition report (based on 45 years experience in the map business)Paulus Swaen warrants the authenticity of our items and a certificate of authenticity is provided for each acquired lot.
Condition and Coloring
We indicate the condition of each item and use our unique HiBCoR grading system in which four key items determine a map's value: Historical Importance, Beauty, Condition/Coloring and Rarity.
Color Key
We offer many maps in their original black and white condition. We do not systematically color-up maps to make them more sellable to the general public or buyer.
Copper engraved or wood block maps are always hand colored. Maps were initially colored for aesthetic reasons and to improve readability. Nowadays, it is becoming a challenge to find maps in their original colors and are therefor more valuable.
We use the following color keys in our catalog:
Original colors; mean that the colors have been applied around the time the map was issued.
Original o/l colors; means the map has only the borders colored at the time of publication.
Colored; If the colors are applied recently or at the end of the 20th century.
Read more about coloring of maps [+]
Shipping fee
A flat shipping fee of $ 30 is added to each shipment by DHL within Europe and North America. This covers : International Priority shipping, Packing and Insurance (up to the invoice amount).
Shipments to Asia are $ 40 and rest of the world $50
We charge only one shipping fee when you have been successful on multiple items or when you want to combine gallery and auction purchases.
Read more about invoicing and shipping
FAQ
Please have a look for more information about buying in the BuyNow gallery
Many answers are likely to find in the general help section.
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