Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was born in Antwerp to Flemish parents in 1527. After studying Greek, Latin, and mathematics, he and his sister set up shop as book dealers and a ‘painter of maps.’ In his heart, Ortelius was, nevertheless, first and foremost a historian. He believed geography was the ‘eye of history,’ which explains why he collected maps and historical documents with such passion. Ortelius traveled widely in pursuit of his interests, building contacts with mapmakers and literati all over the European continent.
Ortelius reached a turning point in his career in 1564 with the publication of a World Map in eight sheets, of which only a single copy survives. In 1570, he published a comprehensive collection of maps titled Theatrum orbis terrarum (Theatre of the World). The Theatrum is conventionally considered the first modern-style atlas. It was compiled by collecting maps and charts from colleagues across the continent, which Ortelius then had engraved in a uniform size and style. The engraver for most of the maps in Theatrum was none other than the famous Frans Hogenberg, who also served as the main engraver for the 16th-century urban atlas Civitates Orbis Terrarum, published with Georg Braun in 1572.
Hogenberg’s re-drawn and standardized maps formed the basis of the first atlas in history (even though it was Mercator who was the first to use the term a few decades later). Unlike many of his contemporaries, Ortelius noted his sources openly and in the first edition, acknowledged no less than eighty-seven different European cartographers. This ‘catalogus auctorum tabularum geographicum‘ is one of the major innovations of his atlas. The list of contributing mapmakers was kept up-to-date for decades after Ortelius’ death. In the first edition of 1570, this list included 87 names, whereas the posthumous edition of 1603 contained no less than 183 names.
While compiled by Abraham Ortelius in the manner described above, the Theatrum was first printed by Gielis Coppens van Diest, an Antwerp printer experienced with cosmographical books. Van Diest was succeeded by his son Anthonis in 1573, who in turn was followed by Gillis van den Rade, who printed the 1575 edition of Ortelius’ atlas. From 1579, Christoffel Plantin took over, and his successors continued to print Theatrum until Ortelius’ heirs sold the copperplates and the publication rights to Jan Baptist Vrients in 1601. In 1612, shortly after Vrients’s death, the copperplates passed to the Moretus brothers.
Showing all 10 results
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Islandia.
The most decorative and famous map of Iceland ever produced – here in elegant original color.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1603$14,500 Add to cart -
Tartariae Sive Magni Chami Regni Typus
From History’s First Modern Atlas: a gorgeous Ortelius map of Asia with references to Marco Polo.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1603$1,200 Add to cart -
Erythraei Sive Rubri Maris Periplus, olim ab Arriano descriptus, nunc vero ab Abrah. Orelio ex eodem delineatus
Illustrating a mysterious ancient text: fascinating Ortelius map mixing classical mythology and contemporary exploration.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1624$1,200 Add to cart -
Siciliae Veteris Typus
Beautiful old color Ortelius map of Sicily.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1601$1,200 Add to cart -
Insularum Aliquot Maris Mediterranei Descriptio
1587 Ortelius six maps in one: Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, Corfu, Elba, and Djerba.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1587$650 Add to cart -
Fessae, et Marocchi Regna Africae Celeberr.
1595 Ortelius Morocco with inset of Pigaffetta’s Kingdom of Congo.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1595$700 Add to cart -
Americae Sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio
The uncommon second plate of Ortelius’s famous map of the Western Hemisphere in original colors.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1579$3,900 Add to cart -
Americae Sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio
Gorgeous 1588 Ortelius map of the western hemisphere naming California.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1588$5,000 Add to cart -
Angliae Regni Florentissimi Nova Descriptio, Auctore Humfredo Lhuyd Denbygiense
Lovely 1574 Ortelius map of England and Wales with elaborate cartouche.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1574$975 Add to cart -
[Ortelius & Hogenberg Atlas Factice]
A fantastic composite atlas from the apex of the Dutch Golden Age of cartography focused on the emergent Republic of the United Netherlands.
Place/Date: The Low Countries / ca. 1600On Hold Read more
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Gallia Geographica Galliae descriptio, de integro plurimis in locis emendata ac Regionum limitibus distincta; auctore Petro Plancio…
The famous Ortelius/Vrients map of Greater France.
Place/Date: Antwerp / 1609Read more -
Islandia.
The most decorative and famous map of Iceland ever produced.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1612Read more -
Islandia
A beautifully preserved example of the most decorative and famous map of Iceland ever produced – with an additional hand-drawn sea-monster on the verso.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1592Read more -
Aegyptus Antiqua
Stunning full color example of Ortelius’s two-sheet map of Egypt.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1584Read more -
Islandia
1609 Ortelius extraordinary map of Iceland with Spanish text on verso
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1609Read more -
Ischia quae olim Aenaria
1590 old color Ortelius Island of Ischia
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1590Read more -
Typus Orbis Terrarum
Spectacular old color Ortelius world map showing the world as known in 1587.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1608Read more -
Additamentum IV. Theatri Orbis Terrarum
1590 Ortelius including Islandia, Maris Pacifici, and many more.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1590Read more -
Indiae Orientalis, Insularumque Adiacentium Typus
1590 Ortelius map of Southeast Asia in original colors
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1590Read more -
Maris Pacifici
Stunning 1595 example of Ortelius’ landmark map of the Pacific Ocean.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1595Read more -
Hispaniae novae sive magnae recens et vera descriptio
Ortelius’s map of Mexico, one of the earliest printed maps of New Spain.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1579Read more -
Islandia
Excellent old color Ortelius map of Iceland
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1598Read more -
Graeciae Universae Secundum Hodiernum Situm Neoterica Descriptio
Ortelius Greece in attractive colors.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / ca. 1588Read more -
Iaponiae Insulae Descriptio. Ludoico Teisera Auctore
First map of Japan published in a European atlas.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1595Read more -
Africae Tabula Nova
Ortelius’s gorgeous cornerstone map of Africa.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1570Read more -
Hispalensis Conventus Delineatio, Auctore Hieronymo Chiaues
1579 Ortelius map of Southern Spain.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1579Read more -
Presbiteri Iohannis, sive, Abissinorum Imperii Descriptio
1598 map of East Africa with the mythical kingdom of Prester John.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1598Read more -
Persici sive Sophorum Regni Typus
Lovely 1601 Ortelius map of the Persian Empire
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1601Read more -
Europae
1584 Ortelius Europe with cartouche featuring Europa riding bull.
Cartographer(s): Abraham OrteliusPlace/Date: Antwerp / 1584Read more