This is a MapHist list message (when you hit 'reply' you're replying to the whole list) o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o +
Dear Maphisters A woman sitting on a crocodile was used to personify the African continent since the late 16th century. Painters and engravers working in Antwerp at the end of the 16th century such as Marten de Vos, Adrien Collaert, Philip Galle and Marcus Gheeraerts all contributed independently to the creation of standard personifications by their symbolism. See for instance: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marten_de_Vos_Adriaen_Collaert_Africa.jpg The iconography of the continents has been dealt with in several studies since the 1960's. One of the first and most extensive contributions is the article by Erich Köllmann a.o., 'Erdteile', in Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte, ed. by Ludwig H. Heidenreich and Karl-August Wirth (Stuttgart, 1967), vol. 5, cols 1107-1202. The literature on the subject has been assimilated in the thorough study by Sabine Poeschel, Studien zur Ikonographie der Erdteile in der Kunst des 16.-18. Jahrhunderts (München, 1985). It is not surprising that mapmakers were among the first to incorporate personifications of the continents in the decoration of their products. The symbolic figures supplemented very suggestively the geographical contents of their world maps and title pages of atlases. Abraham Ortelius included a set of personifications on the title page of his Theatrum orbis terrarum (1570). He depicted four contintents as women, while a fifth continent, the unknown southern continent 'Magallanica' is represented only by a woman's bust. Only two Dutch mapmakers represented even six parts of the world on their world maps. On his famous world map from 1594, Petrus Plancius depicted Africa (in the lower right corner) as an almost naked figure riding a crocodile, armed with bow and arrows . A hat and a parasol protect her from the heat of the day. See: http://www.zoomcatch.com/wallpapers/download/97702/1421/1101 In 1604 Pieter van den Keere (Petrus Kaerius) issued a new edition of Plancius's world map, but the positioning of the scenes in the elaborate pictorial borders has been reversed. Van den Keere still mentioned Plancius as the author of the map on the 1604 issue, but replaced Plancius by his own name on the second issue of 1607. Only very few examples of Van den Keere's map are known. Both cartographers also produced a large wall map surrounded by the personifications of the six parts of the world. Plancius's wall map of the world of 1607 is only known in two later states. The 1651 state with the imprint of Cornelis Danckerts (Royal Library, Copenhagen) and a 1676 state (private collection in Sweden). Van den Keere's wall map, issued in 1611, is only known by a unique and well preserved copy in the Sutro Library in San Francisco. Best regards Joost Depuydt | consulent wetenschappelijk werk Stad Antwerpen | FelixArchief Oudeleeuwenrui 29 | 2000 Antwerpen tel + 32 3 338 94 59 | fax +32 3 338 94 10 [email protected] | [email protected] www.antwerpen.be | www.felixarchief.be www.facebook.com/felixarchief www.geschiedenisvanantwerpen.be 't Stad is van iedereen. ***Disclaimer*** Dit e-mailbestand, met inbegrip van zijn eventuele bijlagen, is een officieel document van de Stad Antwerpen. Het kan vertrouwelijke of persoonlijke informatie bevatten. Als u deze boodschap per vergissing hebt ontvangen, verzoeken wij u om de afzender daarvan onmiddellijk per e-mail of telefoon op de hoogte te stellen en ze vervolgens van uw computer te verwijderen zonder de inhoud ervan eerst te lezen, te vermenigvuldigen, te verspreiden of op andere wijze openbaar te maken aan derden. De Stad Antwerpen kan op geen enkele manier aansprakelijk worden gesteld voor mogelijke fouten of onnauwkeurigheden in dit bericht, noch voor verlies, ongemak of directe dan wel indirecte schade geleden ten gevolge van het gebruik van in deze e-mail voorkomende incorrecte informatie -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Namens Rehav Rubin Verzonden: zondag 25 september 2011 14:40 Aan: [email protected] Onderwerp: [MapHist] personification of Egypt This is a MapHist list message (when you hit 'reply' you're replying to the whole list) o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + _______________________________________________ MapHist: E-mail discussion group on the history of cartography hosted by the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht. 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. List Information: http://www.maphist.nl Maphist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.geo.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/maphist
