Sicilia Regnum
| Reference: | S43698 |
| Author | Willem Janszoon BLAEU |
| Year: | 1640 ca. |
| Zone: | Sicilia |
| Printed: | Amsterdam |
| Measures: | 500 x 390 mm |
€900.00
| Reference: | S43698 |
| Author | Willem Janszoon BLAEU |
| Year: | 1640 ca. |
| Zone: | Sicilia |
| Printed: | Amsterdam |
| Measures: | 500 x 390 mm |
€900.00
Description
Map executed on the model of Giovanni Antonio Magini.
The map first appears in the third volume of the Theatrum. According to Koeman it is first published in the French edition of 1640, entitled Le Theatre du Monde ou Nouvel Atlas, Mis en lumiere par Guillaume & Jean Blaeu. Troisieme partie. In Amsterdam, Chez Iean & Corneille Blaeu MDCXL. The third volume of the Theatrum contains 58 maps of Italy and 4 of Greece (see Koeman, Atlas Neerlandici, pp. 160-162, Bl 35A). The maps of Italy are all derived from the work of Giovanni Antonio Magini. However, it seems more likely that Blaeu relies on those of Hendrick Hondius and Johannes Janssonius published in Theatrum Italiae in quo Eius Regna, Domina, Ducatus, Et Speciatim Illorum Provinciae, Tabulis Accuratissimis, Iam, De Novo in Lucem Editio, Describunter, Quorum Sequens Pagina Indicabit, printed in Amsterdam by Hendrick Hondius in 1636.
Willem Janszoon Blaeu, started in 1599 his business as a builder of globes and astronomical instruments in Amsterdam. In 1630, after buying some plates of the Mercator atlas from Jodocus Hondius II, he was able to publish a volume of 60 maps under the title Atlantis Appendix. Five years later, he published the first two volumes of his atlas Atlas Novus or Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, in six books. After his death, Joan (Johannes) continued his father's work, completing the entire six-volume Atlas Novus series around 1655. He was also the author of an Atlas Maior sive Cosmographia Blaviana, in 12 volumes published in 1662 -72, one of which was devoted to Italy.
Although published after the death of Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1638) the maps often bear his imprint. It is not known whether they were all ready-made or if his sons Johannes and Cornelis completed them posthumously.
“La complessa vicenda della pubblicazione degli atlanti dei Blaeu, recentemente ricostruita, presenta problemi biblioteconomici davvero complessi. L'11 febbraio del 1634 Willem Janszoon Blaeu (ca 1571-
1638) aveva annunciato, in un gazzettino di Amsterdam, la sua intenzione di realizzare l'atlante in quattro lingue con carte assolutamente originali, appositamente incise e con testi descrittivi. Fu così che la carta della Sicilia ap- parve nel breve arco di un anno in quattro edizioni del- l'Atlante di Blaeu, pubblicato in due volumi e in differenti lingue: in tedesco nel 1634, in latino, olandese e francese nel 1635. Nello stesso 1635 si annunciava anche l'uscita del terzo e del quarto volume che videro la luce solo nel 1640 (Italia e Grecia) e nel 1645.
La Sicilia è una copia pressoché fedele si nota solo qualche spostamento nella posizione dei toponimi - della carta di Mercatore del 1589. Il rame di Mercatore, a sua volta, fu acquisito da Janssonius, editore concorrente di Blaeu, che lo pubblicò, con alcune modifiche al cartiglio, nel 1636. Per tale motivo le carte di Blaeu e di Janssonius si somigliano moltissimo al punto da ingenerare l'equivoco che il secondo si sia rifatto alla carta di Blaeu, pubblicata un anno prima.
Willem Jansz. Blaeu apparteneva a una facoltosa famiglia anabattista di Amsterdam e può a ragione definirsi come il più importante e influente cartografo olandese del '600, un editore di statura europea.
Il padre di Willem non viveva ad Amsterdam in quanto svolgeva la sua attività mercantile ad Alkmaar. Willem nacque li oppure nel vicino villaggio di Uitgeest ove ebbe la sua prima formazione scolastica. Da giovane si trasferì ad Amsterdam per lavorare con il cugino Cornelis Pietersz. Hooft e intraprendere la stessa attività del padre, mercante errante. Invece, il giovane Willem si mostrò molto più interessato alle materie scientifiche e in particolare all'astronomia. Nel 1595 parti per la Danimarca per studiare astronomia con Tycho Brahe a Ven, dove spese un intero inverno. I due rimasero in contatto ne- gli anni successivi, come risulta dall'invio che Blaeu fece a Thyco delle proprie osservazioni sull'eclisse di Luna del 21 febbraio 1598.
Dopo il suo rientro in Olanda, Blaeu lavorò per alcuni anni ad Alkmaar, dove ebbe inizio l'attività cartografica con la pubblicazione di una coppia di globi (34 cm di diametro): il globo celeste risale agli anni 1597/98 e fu costruito sui dati raccolti durante la sua permanenza a Ven, mentre il terrestre fu realizzato nel 1599.
Tra il 1598 e il 1599, egli si spostò ad Amsterdam, determinando nella città la nascita di una fiorente fabbrica di globi. Nei primi anni egli costruì solo strumenti scientifici e globi; dopo averne costruito una piccola coppia di 23 cm di diametro, nel 1602, e avere effettuato una revisione, nel 1603, del globo celeste di 34 cm, egli iniziò a costruire mappe, carte nautiche, libri e strumenti di navigazione. Solo nel 1630 ebbe inizio la produzione di atlanti. Dopo la sua morte la produzione di globi, carte e atlanti fu continuata dal figlio Joan Blaeu, che portò la produzione di atlanti al suo massimo splendore con la pubblicazione dell'Atlas Maior in nove e in dodici volumi a partire dal 1662.
Sebbene a partire dal 1662 cambino il titolo e il numero dei volumi dell'Atlas, non ho classificato queste edizioni come 'Altre opere', come fatto per altre schede, poiché il nono volume dell'Atlas Maior ricopia quasi integralmente il terzo volume del Theatrum del 1640. L'attività editoriale di Blaeu ebbe un brusco termine nel 1672 per un incendio che distrusse gran parte del materiale cartaceo e degli oggetti in deposito e danneggiò parecchi rami. L'anno seguente morì Joan Blaeu e tra il 1674 e il 1677 tutti i libri e i rami furono messi all'asta e in gran parte acquistati dal mercante di libri Abraham Wolfgang, che aveva acquisito, nel 1675, anche i rami degli atlanti di Janssonius.
Come è noto Blaeu riprodusse quasi interamente l'atlante Italia di Magini del 1620, aggiungendovi decorazioni e cartigli. Solo la Sicilia ha come modello diretto la carta mercatoriana, che comunque fu ripresa, con alcune modifiche, da Magini.” (Valerio-Spagnolo "Sicilia 1477-1861", p. 240).
Copper engraving, fine contemporary hand colour, very good condition. Latin text on verso.
Bibliografia:
Valerio-Spagnolo "Sicilia 1477-1861", pp. 240-243, n. 90.
Willem Janszoon BLAEU (Uitgeest 1571- Amsterdam 1638)
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At the beginning of the seventeenth century Amsterdam was becoming one of the wealthiest trading cities in Europe, the base of the Dutch East India Company and a centre of banking and diamond trades, its people noted for their intellectual skills and splendid craftsmanship.
At this propitious time in the history of the Northern Provinces, Willem Janszoon Blaeu, who was born at Alkmaar in 1571 and trained in astronomy and the sciences by Tycho Brahe, the celebrated Danish astronomer, founded a business in Amsterdam in 1599 as a globe and instrument maker.
It was not long before the business expanded, publishing maps, topographical works and books of sea charts as well as constructing globes.
His most notable early work was a map of Holland (1604), a fine World Map (1605-06) and Het Licht der Zeevaerdt (The Light of Navigation), a marine atlas, which went through many editions in different languages and under a variety of titles.
At the same time Blaeu was planning a major atlas intended to include the most up-to-date maps of the whole known world but progress on so vast a project was slow and not until he bought between 30 and 40 plates of the Mercator Atlas from Jodocus Hondius II to add to his own collection was he able to publish, in 1630, a 60-map volume with the title Atlantis Appendix.
It was another five years before the first two volumes of his planned world atlas, Atlas Novus or the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum were issued. About this time he was appointed Hydrographer to the East India Company.
In 1638 Willem Blaeu died and the business passed into the hands of his sons, Joan and Cornelis, who continued and expanded their father's ambitious plans.
After the death of Cornelis, Joan directed the work alone and the whole series of 6 volumes was eventually completed about 1655.
As soon as it was finished he began the preparation of the even larger work, the Atlas Major, which reached publication in 1662 in II volumes (later editions in 9-12 volumes) and contained nearly 6oo double-page maps and 3,000 pages of text.
This was, and indeed remains, the most magnificent work of its kind ever produced; perhaps its geographical content was not as up-to-date or as accurate as its author could have wished, but any deficiencies in that direction were more than compensated for by the fine engraving and colouring, the elaborate cartouches and pictorial and heraldic detail and especially the splendid calligraphy.
In 1672 a disastrous fire destroyed Blaeu's printing house in the Gravenstraat and a year afterwards Joan Blaeu died. The firm's surviving stocks of plates and maps were gradually dispersed, some of the plates being bought by F. de Wit and Schenk and Valck, before final closure in about 1695.
It ought to be mentioned here that there is often confusion between the elder Blaeu and his rival Jan Jansson (Johannes Janssonius). Up to about 1619 Blaeu often signed his works Guilielmus Janssonius or Willems Jans Zoon but after that time he seems to have decided on Guilielmus or G. Blaeu.
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Willem Janszoon BLAEU (Uitgeest 1571- Amsterdam 1638)
|
At the beginning of the seventeenth century Amsterdam was becoming one of the wealthiest trading cities in Europe, the base of the Dutch East India Company and a centre of banking and diamond trades, its people noted for their intellectual skills and splendid craftsmanship.
At this propitious time in the history of the Northern Provinces, Willem Janszoon Blaeu, who was born at Alkmaar in 1571 and trained in astronomy and the sciences by Tycho Brahe, the celebrated Danish astronomer, founded a business in Amsterdam in 1599 as a globe and instrument maker.
It was not long before the business expanded, publishing maps, topographical works and books of sea charts as well as constructing globes.
His most notable early work was a map of Holland (1604), a fine World Map (1605-06) and Het Licht der Zeevaerdt (The Light of Navigation), a marine atlas, which went through many editions in different languages and under a variety of titles.
At the same time Blaeu was planning a major atlas intended to include the most up-to-date maps of the whole known world but progress on so vast a project was slow and not until he bought between 30 and 40 plates of the Mercator Atlas from Jodocus Hondius II to add to his own collection was he able to publish, in 1630, a 60-map volume with the title Atlantis Appendix.
It was another five years before the first two volumes of his planned world atlas, Atlas Novus or the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum were issued. About this time he was appointed Hydrographer to the East India Company.
In 1638 Willem Blaeu died and the business passed into the hands of his sons, Joan and Cornelis, who continued and expanded their father's ambitious plans.
After the death of Cornelis, Joan directed the work alone and the whole series of 6 volumes was eventually completed about 1655.
As soon as it was finished he began the preparation of the even larger work, the Atlas Major, which reached publication in 1662 in II volumes (later editions in 9-12 volumes) and contained nearly 6oo double-page maps and 3,000 pages of text.
This was, and indeed remains, the most magnificent work of its kind ever produced; perhaps its geographical content was not as up-to-date or as accurate as its author could have wished, but any deficiencies in that direction were more than compensated for by the fine engraving and colouring, the elaborate cartouches and pictorial and heraldic detail and especially the splendid calligraphy.
In 1672 a disastrous fire destroyed Blaeu's printing house in the Gravenstraat and a year afterwards Joan Blaeu died. The firm's surviving stocks of plates and maps were gradually dispersed, some of the plates being bought by F. de Wit and Schenk and Valck, before final closure in about 1695.
It ought to be mentioned here that there is often confusion between the elder Blaeu and his rival Jan Jansson (Johannes Janssonius). Up to about 1619 Blaeu often signed his works Guilielmus Janssonius or Willems Jans Zoon but after that time he seems to have decided on Guilielmus or G. Blaeu.
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