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On 9/26/2011 1:37 AM, Joost Depuydt wrote:
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.
Well, today I went and had a look at this digital facsimile of the
1594 state of Plancius's world map, assuming it would be pretty much
the same as the Plancius world map I already have a copy of, dated 1596.
And was I ever surprised!
The maps are quite different ... especially the 4 continental
personifications.
Having learned from all of you to pay attention to varying states etc.
when I'm looking at maps (Tony Campbell, in particular, has been a
very patient instructor ;-) I first thought that the map had changed
drastically from 1594 (according to the image I found at the above URL
Joost pointed us to) to its reissue in 1596.
But the more closely I looked, the more I became convinced that the
catalog data
Orbis Terrae, world map by Peter Plancius
1596
for the map I have is misleading, if not wrong.
I now believe the map I have is by John Baptiste Vrint (not Plancius),
and is the one described by Henry Stevens (in the catalogue at the end
of Arthur Lee Humphrey's _Old Decorative Maps and Charts_) as follows:
"1596. LINSCHOTEN (JAN HUYGHEN VAN). Itinerario, Voyage ofte
Schipvaert van Jan Huyghen Van Linschoten naer Oost ofte
Portugael Indien in houdende een corte Beschryvinghe de
selver Landen ende Zeecusten, met aenwysinge van alle de
voornaemde principale Havens, Rivieren &c. &c.
*t'Amstelredam* By Cornelis Claesz. 1596. 4 parts each with
its separate title page. Folio.
"** First Edition with Part 3 in its earliest state. The Map
of the World in this copy is the correct one by John Baptiste
Vrint entitled, 'Orbis Terrae compendiosa descriptio Orbis
Geographorum operibus de sumta.' This map is nearly always
lacking or replaced by a similar map by Peter Plancius which
appeared in the later Dutch editions of this work. The volume
is interspersed with numerous maps and plates, many of which
are beautifully coloured. The work consists in a large
measure of translations of the original Spanish and
Portuguese documents and reports on navigation, geography,
ethnology, &c. The description of America occupies almost the
whole of the Third Part and is illustrated by a large folding
map entitled, 'Afbeldinghe van alle de Zeecusten des gehelen
Zuyderscheen deels van America, genaempt Peruiviana
beginnende van R. de la Plata langas de Custen van Brasilien.
... Cuba tot C. de la Florida, Panama, &c.'"
I've posted a copy of the map that I believe to be by Vrint (not
Plancius) to a temporary directory of my website:
http://www.she-philosopher.com/home/temp/Vrint_1596WorldMap(1400x919)W.jpg
(527KB file)
Unfortunately, the image is cropped at the top, so I don't know
whether any imprint information is missing, or not.
A detail of the imprint at top right (which I can't quite make out:
"Antwerpiae, apud Jo___em Baptis___ Vrint."
???) is here:
http://www.she-philosopher.com/home/temp/Vrint_1596WorldMap_DET-imprintW.jpg
(34KB file)
and a detail of the personification of Africa is here:
http://www.she-philosopher.com/home/temp/Vrint_1596WorldMap_DET-AfricaW.jpg
(238KB file)
Note the hieroglyphic symbolism -- the crocodile has its tail wrapped
around a palm tree -- which de Coetlogon explicitly noted, and which I
thought until now appeared on the Plancius world map!
Also, I have posted a detail of the personification of Europa here:
http://www.she-philosopher.com/home/temp/Vrint_1596WorldMap_DET-EuropaW.jpg
(278KB file)
Again, this is the alternate imaging of Europa (as Fortuna) with which
I'm more familiar (although, now that I've started looking for Europa
seated on the bull, I'm finding examples of this I hadn't noticed before).
At any rate, here's de Coetlogon's gloss for this alternate visual
tradition:
"The RUDDER *Hieroglyphick*.
"By the Figure of the *Rudder* of a Ship, was understood the
Government of a State; therefore the Antients painted the
Goddess *Fortune*, holding with her Right-Hand the Helm of a
Ship, and in the Left a *Cornu Copia*.--But as that Goddess
was very prone to Inconstancy, she was sometimes represented
sitting on a Ball, in which Posture she is seen on the Coin
of *Nerva*, with this Legend, FORT. RED. S. C. i. e. *The
Fortune return'd by Arrest of the Senate*. On another Sort of
Coin, of the same Emperor, *Fortune* is represented sitting,
guiding an *Helm* or *Rudder* with her Hand, and which [she?]
[lifts?] up with her Feet, and this Legend, FORTUNAE REDUCI,
*To Fortune return'd*.
"On some of the Coins of *Adrian*, *Fortune* is represented
with a Helm placed on a Ball.
"The Coin of *Septimus Geta*, has the Figure of *Fortune*
sitting, a *Rudder* and a *Cornu Copia*, with this Legend,
FOR. RED. *To Fortune return'd*.
"On the Coin of *Domitian* is the same Figure, the same
*Rudder*, the same *Cornu Copia*; but the Legend is quite
different; for it is this FORTUNA AUGUSTI, *The Fortune of*
Augustus, as if Fortune had never changed with Respect to
him."
I have several questions for MapHisters ... but I guess the main one
is: what is the connection, if any, between Plancius and Vrint? To my
untutored eyes, the presentation of geography seems somewhat similar
(meaning that Vrint borrowed from Plancius?) while the ornamentation
is markedly different (meaning that this is Vrint's own enigmatic
vision?), and I wonder why this is.
Again, I'll leave the images up for a couple of weeks while we
continue discussing all this, and MapHisters are free to download them.
Deborah
_____
Deborah Taylor-Pearce
[email protected]
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