Genovesato

Map of Liguria prepared by Jodocud Hondius Jr. for the from Nova et accurata Italiae hodiernae descriptio in qua omnium eius regionum, vrbium, pagorum, dominiorum, castellorum, montium, fluviorum, fontium, lacuum, et portuum, historia exhibetur. Geographicis tabulis et vrbium praecipuarum iconibus illustrata a Iudoco Hondio addita est Siciliae, Sardiniae, Corsicae, et itinerariorum per Italiam brevis delineatio, printed in Leiden by the printing house Elzevir in 1627.

This is a geographical atlas combined with a town book, exclusively dedicated to Italy.  The work consists of 31 maps and 67 views or plans of cities. The maps derive from Mercator's Atlas Minor, while the plans are based on the models introduced in Venice by Francesco Valegio and those of Civitates Orbis Terrarum by G. Braun and F. Hogenberg. The work is related to the period in which Jodocus Hondius II had just separated from his brother Hendrick. According to the literature there is a first edition of the collection, printed in Amsterdam in 1626.

This example, lacking the text on the verso, is a later 1734 reprint edited by publisher Henri du Sauzet and included in Atlas portatif composé de CCLXXXV cartes, de plusieurs habiles geographes; où sont representées toutes les parties de la terre. Amsterdam, Henri Du Sauzet, 1734. (Koeman II, p. 546 Me 207). This is a collection of 285 maps by different authors, whose plates he had acquired.

Jodocus Hondius Jr. was born in 1593, and his first signed publication was a map of Scandinavia, published in 1613. He was the son of Jodocus Hondius (1563-1612) - engraver, cartographer, printer and publisher - who was the founder of the Hondius printing house, one of the most important of the time. With the death - in 1612 - of Jodocus senior, his widow Coletta van den Keere continued the business with her two sons; Jodocus Jr. and Hendrick (1597-1651) took his place. In June 1621, Jodocus Jr. married Anne Staffmaecker and moved to a shop on the Dyke, where he established his publishing business. According to Peter van the Krogt (see Atlantes Neerlandici) Jodocus Hondius Jr. and his younger brother Hendrick were competitors.

Henri du Sauzet (c. 1687-1754) was a bookseller and publisher of maps and atlases. - A native of Toulouse, a Huguenot or "apostate Jesuit" according to Voltaire, he arrived in Amsterdam around 1713. In 1715 he was admitted to the booksellers' guild in The Hague by order of the burgomasters, despite his lack of qualifications. He returned to Amsterdam, where he became a burgomaster and a member of the booksellers' guild in June 1718. Editor and director of several periodicals, notably the "Nouvelles littéraires" from January 1715 to June 1720, the "Mémoires de littérature" from 1715 to 1717, "La Bagatelle ou Discours ironiques" from May 1718 to April 1719 and the "Bibliothèque françoise ou Histoire littéraire de la France," which he continued from 1730 to 1746. In November 1747 he sold his movable property to creditors. An inventory of his business drawn up after his death on June 22, 1754 is known; the sale of his assets took place in September of the same year.

Copper engraving, with contempory colouring, in good condition.