Bidspirit auction | 6 Maps of Hungary from

6 Maps of Hungary from Moll, Ortelius, Schenck, Visscher, Elwe, & Seutter - Moll - Map of Hungary Description of the work: This engraved map is from Herman Moll's The Compleat Geographer: or, The Chorography and Topography of all the Known Parts of the Earth. This is from the fourth edition of the work published in 1723 in London for J. Knapton. Herman Moll (1654-1732) was a skilled cartographer and publisher based in London and Holland. He got his start as an engraver for Moses Pitt and other London map publishers. Moll is said to have made the bold claim that without a doubt “California is an Island.” He was contemporaries with Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, and William Dampier. Ortelius, pub. 1579 - Map of Hungary Description of the work: This stunning folio map is from Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum orbis terrarum . The work was published in 1579 in Antwerp by Plantin. The maps have been described as ”the most outstanding engravings depicting the wide-spread interest in classical geography in the 16th century.” (Van der Krogt) The beautiful maps feature Renaissance-style cartouches and decorative work including vessels, sea and mythological monsters, birds, medallions, et al. Noted art historian, James A. Welu, comments on ”their richness of ornamentation, [they are] a combination of science and art that has rarely been surpassed in the history of mapmaking... Ortelius's Theatrum is known for its numerous decorative cartouches, which undoubtedly added to the atlas's long popularity.” (Art and Cartography, pp. 145-146) Theatrum Orbis Terrarum is widely recognized as the first modern atlas which shaped the future of cartography throughout the 17th century. It utilized text and maps to fully explore the known world. ”The publication of this atlas [ Theatrum , 1570] marked an epoch in the history of cartography. It was the first uniformly sized, systematic collection of maps of the countries of the world based only on contemporary knowledge and in that sense may be called the first modern atlas.” (Tooley) Frans Hogenberg also worked on the publication of this atlas. Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was one of the most influential cartographers of the 16th century. He was born in Antwerp, Belgium but traveled throughout Europe where he eventually met Mercator. Ortelius became one of the most important cartographers in history. His largest accomplishment was certainly his atlas entitled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum . He was also appointed Royal Cartographer to King Philip II of Spain. ”Although the colophon is dated 1598, this edition was published in 1613. After the death of Jan Baptist Vrients in 1611, the copperplates were sold to Jan and Balthasar Moretus, sons of Jan Moretus, who had died in 1610. From the heirs of the Amsterdam publisher Cornelis Claesz, they bought the text sheets of the Dutch Theatrum of 1598, enough sheets to make about 145 copies, though probably not enough for the preliminary section and the end matter. In September 1613, the Moretuses received a copy of the Dutch Theatrum to serve as a model for the setting of the new pages. The new 'edition' - in fact, only the preliminary matter and the end matter (including the colophon dated 1598) were newly printed - would have been published late in 1613.” (Koeman's atlantes neerlandici, 2003 : III A, 31:122) Schenck - Map of Hungary with Italy, Greece, part of Turkey Description of the work: This map is from Peter Schenck and published in the 1700s. Schenck's maps in particular marked a turning point in Dutch cartography. While previous maps used many classic mythologic figures and references, this map used a more scientific approach and representation. Elwe - Map of Hungary Description of the work: This first edition, originally hand-colored map is from Jan Berend Elwe's Atlas . The work was published in Amsterdam for the author circa 1792. The frontispiece from the work was engraved by I. van Munnikhuyse after L. Webbers. Most of the maps available from the atlas are dated 1792. Many of the maps appear to be directly influenced by R. & I. Ottens atlas. (Koeman p. 105) Visscher - Map of Hungary Description of the work: This detailed map is from Nicolaes Visscher's Atlas minor, sive geographia compendiosa qua orbis terrarum per paucas attamen novissimas tabulas ostenditura . The work was published by the author in Amsterdam circa 1690s. Nicolaes (Nicholas) Visscher (1618-1709) was a Dutch engraver, cartographer, and publisher. He came from a prominent family of cartographers including his father, Claes Janszoon Visscher, and son, Nicholas II. Visscher maps are known for their exceptional engraving. Seutter - Map of Hungary Description of the work: This exceptional folio map is from Georg Matthaeus Seutter's Atlas novus sive Tabulae geographicae totius orbis faciem... The atlas was published in Augsburg circa 1732 to 1741.