Theatrum orbis terrarum by ORTELIUS, Abraham (1527-1598) - 1603

Antwerp: Jan Baptist Vrients, 1603. 3 parts in one volume (including the 'Parergon' and 'Nomenclator'), folio. (18 7/16 x 12 inches). Mounted on guards throughout. With full period hand-colouring throughout. Hand-coloured engraved allegorical general title, with full-page engraving of the arms Philip II of Spain on the verso, engraved full-page memorial to Ortelius incorporating a small circular portrait of him, full-page engraved portrait of Ortelius, hand-colored engraved section-title to the 'Parergon' with architectural surround, hand-coloured engraved vignette on letterpress section title to the 'Nomenclator'. 156 double-page hand-coloured engravings (151 mapsheets, 2 costume plates, 3 views), numerous hand-coloured woodcut initials. Contemporary red morocco, covers bordered and panelled in gilt and blind, covers with a large central design in gilt, expertly rebacked to style, spine in seven compartments with raised bands, ruled in gilt on either side of each band, compartments with a repeat decoration in gilt (expert restoration at board edges) A very rare example of Ortelius's Renaissance masterwork: the first true atlas, here with full contemporary hand colouring. The colouring in this copy is without doubt the finest that we have ever seen. This Latin edition published by Jan Baptist Vrients is one of the most complete issues of the 'Theatrum Orbis' and includes both the 'Parergon' and 'Nomenclator.' The Theatrum... of Abraham Ortelius was one of the most brilliant and innovative of all Renaissance books. It was the first true atlas in the modern sense of the word, and as such, it introduced an entirely new and standardized method for the study of geography. For the first time in one volume, all parts of the globe were treated in a comprehensive and uniform manner, and thus it presented as complete a picture as was then possible of the whole world. Ortelius published editions of his atlas not only in Latin, the traditional language of the scholarly elite, but in the six major European vernaculars: German, Dutch, French, Italian, English and Spanish. The Theatrum was therefore equally at home in the library of a scholar in Paris, a country gentleman in Kent, or a merchant in Grenada. This widespread dissemination had profound results in an age when geographical knowledge was in a rudimentary state: the information laid out in the Theatrum became the universally accepted vision of the world. Another strategy used to make the atlas more accessible to the public was the inclusion of beautiful embellishments in the popular mannerist style, thus appealing to contemporary aesthetic tastes, and aligning the Theatrum with the other great artistic accomplishments of the age. In speaking of the maps in the Theatrum , the noted art historian, James A. Welu comments on "their richness of ornamentation, [they are] a combination of science and art that has rarely been surpassed in the history of mapmaking ... Ortelius's Theatrum is known for its numerous decorative cartouches, which undoubtedly added to the atlas's long popularity" ( Art and Cartography , pp. 145-146). Ortelius played a pivotal role in disseminating the revelations of the important explorations and cartographical works of his time. The enthusiasm he and his colleagues felt for their task is suggested in the quote from Cicero at the bottom of the world map, which may be loosely translated: "How can human affairs be taken seriously by one who contemplates the great world and all eternity?" Further, the Theatrum was the first major printed work of any kind to include scholarly citations of authorities (i.e. the original mapmakers), thus introducing for the first time the concept of footnoting to Western scholarship. Ortelius further included a massive appendix (the Parergon ), consisting of a detailed classical atlas, to appeal to Renaissance Europe's fascination with the ancient world. In its comprehensive coverage of the world, the uniform excellence of its maps, the standardized style and format, the extensive use of the vernacular for marketing, its scholarly citations, and massive classical appendix, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of Abraham Ortelius had no precedent. Cf. Burden 64 (map of the Americas) & 74 (map of the Pacific); cf. Shirley 158 (world map); van der Krogt Koeman III, 31:053; c.f. Printing and the Mind of Man 91.