Theatrum orbis terrarum

Acquired From: Gowrie Galleries

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Very Good

Confirmed: 12/10/2024

Date Acquired: 2/9/2022

Description: Abraham Ortelius, a pioneering mapmaker, published the first comprehensive collection of uniformly sized maps. Titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the World), this groundbreaking work first released in 1570, established the concept of the modern atlas. Ortelius personally drafted the maps, which were engraved by artisans such as Frans Hogenberg, whose contributions he acknowledged in the Atlass preface. Hogenberg likely collaborated with Ambrosius and Ferdinand Arsenius in engraving the plates.nThe Theatrum was initially published in Latin in May 1570, followed later that year by Dutch and French editions, broadening its accessibility across Europe. This is the 1584 French edition, translated by the French scholar and geographer, Jacques de Migon, who worked closely with Ortelius to adapt the text and maps for French-speaking audiences.nThe French edition maintained the uniform format of the original, featuring engraved maps accompanied by detailed explanatory text. It provided a comprehensive and structured representation of the known world at the time. nComprising seventy maps on fifty-three sheets of paper, the atlas begins with a world map (View Record (#81)), followed by maps of America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The remaining sixty-five maps detail various regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa.nThe Theatrum was an immediate scholarly and financial success, reprinted four times in its first year alone. It was regularly revised and updated to reflect new discoveries and, by 1612, had been translated into all major European languages.

Engraver: Hooftman, Gillis

First published: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Antwerp: Gielis Coppens van Diest, 1570

Mapmaker: Ortelius, Abraham (1527-1598)

Notes: Purchase details

Price: A95,000 plus gst

Primary Category: Book/Atlas

Purchase Reference: Letter 2 Sept 2002

Rarity: R2 Very rare – one or two copies appear on the market

This state: 1584, French edition