Bidspirit auction | 6 Maps of Sicily, Italy,

6 Maps of Sicily, Italy, Candia & Corsica by Munster, Mercator, Mortier, & Ortelius - Munster - Map of Sicily & Part of Italy Description of the work: This very old woodcut is from Sebastian Munster's Cosmographey: das ist Beschreibung aller Länder [...] It was published in Basel between 1544 and 1628 (no title dating available). The work was a massive chronicle of all the geographical knowledge of the world to that point. The work included world maps as well as views of smaller cities and woodcut illustrations of historical subjects, mythology, natural history and ethnography. It was the first work to show America in its ”correct” continental form and ”sealed the fate of 'America' as the name of the New World.” (Burden 12) It was also the first to name the Pacific Ocean. Sebastian Munster (1489-1552) was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and a Hebrew scholar. He also became a Franciscan monk at an early age. Munster's Cosmographia was the first work of scientific based knowledge in the German language. Mercator & Hondius, pub. 1630 - Maps of Corsica & Sardinia Mercator & Hondius, pub. 1630 - Map of Candia or Crete & surrounding Islands Description of the work: This exceptional folio map is from Gerard Mercator's Atlas sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati Figura The atlas was published in Amsterdam in 1630 by Henricus Hondius. Each map features Latin text to verso. Mercator's Atlas was the first true “atlas”, a word chosen by Mercator himself to refer to a collection of maps which would be adopted by all later geographers. Gerard Mercator (1512-1594) is one of the most famous cartographers. He created the Mercator projection for maps which had all parallels and meridians drawn at right angles to each other. This proved exceptionally useful to sailors allowing them to much more easily navigate. Mercator also introduced the term of ”atlas”, first used to describe his collection of maps gathered into one volume. Mercator is certainly best known for his maps and projections. Mercator was one the greatest names in early cartography, with his friend, Abraham Ortelius, describing Mercator as being the “contemporary Ptolemy”. “Contrary to the maps in Abraham Ortelius’s Theatrum orbis terrarium , Antwerp 1570, Mercator’s maps are original. Abraham Ortelius did what most of the atlas-makers of our time are engaged in: the reduction and generalisation of already existing maps. Gerard Mercator, with his sense of scientific word (which should be original and new) checked the current knowledge of the configuration of the earth’s topography against its fundamental sources and drew new maps in his original conception. This method of map-making took more time than it would have by mere copying. But he had not the intention to compete with Ortelius’s best-selling atlas.” (Koeman) Henricus Hondius (1597-1651) was a Dutch engraver and mapmaker. He learned his trade from his father, Jodocus Hondius, an engraver and geographer. He was involved with the republishing of Mercator's atlas as well. Henricus worked closed with his brother, Jodocus the younger, and took over their father's engraving business. He would later start his own shop in 1621 where he would eventually partner with Jan Janssonius and continued publishing Mercator's work where it would eventually be referred to as the Mercator-Hondius-Janssonius atlas. Provenance: Philipp Wilhelm of Neuburg (1615-1690), Elector Palatine to the Jesuit college in Düsseldorf on March 1, 1636. Philipp Wilhelm received a Jesuit-influenced education and spent considerable time in Düsseldorf as a child (ex dono on title). Mortier - Map of Milan, Italy Mortier - Map of Tuscany, Italy Description of the work: This magnificent originally hand-colored map engraving is from Pierre Mortier's Atlas Nouveau or Atlas Novum ad usum serenissimi . The work was published in Amsterdam for Mortier in 1696. The atlas was produced at the height of the Golden Age of Dutch Cartography. The work was dedicated to Louis de France (1682-1712), Duke of Burgundy, the son of Louis de France (known as the Grand Dauphin) as well as Marie-Anne of Bavaria. He became the Dauphin of France upon his father’s death and the father of King Louis XV of France. Pieter Mortier (1669-1711) was an Dutch mapmaker, engraver, and bookseller. He was the son of a French refugee. He was granted a privilege to publish French maps in the Netherlands in 1690, and printed his first work there in 1693. Mortier's family continued to publish and sell books in the Dutch Republic for three generations. Ortelius, pub. 1575 - Map of Corsica with Siena & Ancona Regions Description of the work: This stunning folio map is from Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum orbis terrarum . The work was published in Antwerp by Gillis Van den Rade in 1575 (with the first edition being published 1570). The engraved map features Latin text to verso.