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Dating is based on the fact that this manuscript comes from a group of
such maps. Most of the maps indicate the sources (mainly Austrian
surveys) ranging from 1769-1772 to 1788. A couple of them are dated 1789
and/or 1790.
It is most probably that all these maps were prepared during the time of
the Austrian-Ottoman war 1787-1791.
Ovidiu
On 16/09/10 02:58, Vladimiro Valerio wrote:
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Dear Ovidiu,
the question you pose is closely connected to the one you posted on
15th January of this year. I sent to the list the private answer I
gave you because it is of general interest and still has its validity
also for the bibliographical references. Anyway, the reply given by
Matthew Champion is quite good.
Please check whether you have blind line following the contour of any
feature of the map: if so it means that, using the Matthew's words,
"the front surface has been traced over again" with a metal pencil.
How did you detect the date 1790?
vladimiro
15th january 2010
Dear Ovidiu,
The best reply to your querries is in an ancient work entirely devote
to how to produce a map from the land survey to the instruments,
scales, projections, kind of paper and its dimensions, engraving
tools and so on: Mémorial Topographique et militaire, n. 5, Paris an
XI (1803), for engraving techniques you may see the Chapter IV -
Gravure, "Notice sur la Gravure topographique et géographique", pp.
65-90, by Bacler Dalbe. You may find there not what we think (or
suppose) was used for engraving maps but what was actually used and
suggest to use for engraving maps.
I have discussed that fundamental works for the birth of modern
cartography in some recent works ( "L’occhio mutevole: militari
e mappe tra rivoluzione e restaurazione". In: /La Cartografia europea
tra primo Rinascimento e fine Illuminismo/, ( ed.s) Diogo Ramado
Curto, Angelo Cattaneo, André Ferrand Almeida, Firenze, Olschki 2003,
pp. 229-244 and "Cartography, Art and Mimesis. The Imitation of
Nature, in Land Surveying in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth
Centuries", in: /Observing Nature – The Osmotic Dynamics of
Romanticism Representing Experience 1800 – 1850/, (ed.) Erna
Fiorentini, Berlin, Reimer 2007, pp. 57-71).
About what you call "master engraving", I found and described a
series of manuscript sheets (late XVIII century) identical to
the engravings; the manuscript were used as originals to be copied by
the engravers (/L’Italia nei manoscritti dell’Officina Topografica
conservati nella Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli/. Napoli, Istituto
Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici, 1985). They are on heavy paper and
of a superb quality in drawing, I suppose that from that originals
Neapolitan draftsmen drew copies on light paper to be used for the
transposition on the copper. I think the last draft (to be used by
the engravers) were destroyed during the operation of copying, so no
copy of the last step should be survived . . . unless the last step
was not carried on and somebody kept the light oiled paper. Linen oil
was used (from Medieval time, see Cennino Cennini) to give
transparency to the paper.
best wishes
vladimiro
Il giorno 15/set/2010, alle ore 22.16, Ovidiu Sandor ha scritto:
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Dear all,
I have recently come across a manuscript map that has raised, for me
at least, a number of questions.
It is an Italian manuscript, around 1790. Drawn on 71 sheets of paper
(not very big sheets) and is, as stated, copied from Austrian
sources. Total size is about 2,5 x 3,5 m.
What is of interest are the following facts:
- the paper used is very, very thin
- the paper has a dark yellow/brownish look and it is reasonable to
assume that it has been oiled (this is being tested chemically right now)
- on the back of each sheet, the paper has been covered with black
colour (probably charcoal or similar, again under testing); some
sheets have the black covering all of the back while most have it on
those areas where there is something drawn on the front side, that
is, if a certain area of the front does not have lines or text, then
the back would not have the black colour in that area (the attached
sheet does not have black on the back in the left top corner, for
example)
- the map is not finished and does not look to have tried to be a
"final" map, but rather a draft
Now, here are the questions: What use would the oiled, thin paper have?
What use would the black colour on the back have?
I suppose this might be a stage in the process of issuing some sort
of final map (manuscript or printed). Would such a supposition stand
in light of other similar maps?
How would military maps be prepared at that time?
I would also appreciate any suggestions of literature covering these
or related issues.
I attach the photo of one of the sheets. I have a higher resolution
scan but would email it only if requested, in order not to burden the
mailboxes of maphisters.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Ovidiu Sandor
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Utrecht. The University of Utrecht does not take any responsibility for
the views of the author.
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The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of
the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of
Utrecht. The University of Utrecht does not take any responsibility for
the views of the author.
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