Antique Maps Leen Helmink Antique map of Iceland by Ortelius Click here or on the image for high resolution photos and scans. MAKER Ortelius TITLE Islandia PLACE ISSUED Antwerp FIRST EDITION 1587 THIS EDITION 1612 SIZE (hxw cms) 34.1 x 49.7 AREA SHOWN Iceland TECHNIQUE Copper engraving COLOURING or.col. CONDITION The overall quality of this antique map is mint DESCRIPTION One of the best collector's maps. This example from the rare and legendary last edition of Ortelius' Theatrum, the 1612 Latin edition. in pristine condition and gorgeous original color. A breathtaking example of one of the most spectacular and desirable of all early maps. Most sought-after and spectacular map of Iceland. Here in exceptionally beautiful original color. "Title: ISLANDIA. [Iceland] (upper left:) Priuilegio Imp. et Belgico decennali / A. Ortel. excud. 1585. [Depicted by Abraham Ortelius with an imperial and Belgian privilege for ten years, 1585] (cartouche bottom right corner:) ILLVSTRISS. AC POTENTISS. / REGI FREDERICO II DANIÆ, / NORVEGIÆ, SLAVORVM, GO: / THORVMQVE REGI, ETC. PRIN: / CIPI SVO CLEMENTISSIMO, ANDREAS VELLEIVS / DESCRIBEB. ET DEDICABAT. [Drawn up and dedicated by Andreas Velleius to the Illustrious and powerful Frederic the Second, King of the Danes, Norwegians, Slavs, Goths etc., his most merciful Majesty.] Plate size: 341 x 497 mm Scale: 1 : 1,700,000" (van den Broecke) "Compiled from original work by Gudbrandur Thorlaksson." (Moreland & Bannister). "One of the most famous and desirable of maps. The island of Iceland is shown at large scale, its mountains, fjords, glaciers and volcano - Mt. Hekla - are shown. Polar bears on icebergs can be seen at top right while the seas sport the most fantastic collection of monsters to be seen on one engraving." (Potter). "In 1590 Abraham Ortelius published a new supplement, Additamentum IV, to his collection of maps, Theatri orbis terrarum. Amongst the new maps is a map of Iceland (Islandia). The author is not mentioned but on it says that it was engraved in the year 1585. On it we can also find a dedication to Fridrik II of Denmark by Andreas Velleius (Andreas Sørensen Vedel 1542-1616); a well-known Danish historian of the period. It has been known for a long time that Vedel is not the author of the map and he could not have made it. The map is so superior to all earlier maps of Iceland in content and execution that an Icelander must be its originator. All clues point in the direction of Gudbrandur Thorláksson, bishop of Hólar. In his school days in Copenhagen he had studied mathematics and astronomy alongside theology. He had calculated the position of Hólar and arrived at an amazingly accurate result. He made a map of the North in 1606. The map of Iceland by bishop Gudbrandur does no longer exist and it is not known when he made it or what resources he had at his disposal. A list of churches and fiords has been found which he seems to have used, especially the latter, which he follows very closely for a large part of the coast. Ortelius seems to have received the map directly from Vedel´s own hands, and probably it never occurred to him that Vedel was not the author. At about this time, Vedel was writing a history of Denmark, which in fact never appeared, which was to be accompanied by maps. Nothing is known of any contact between Vedel and the bishop, but it is not unreasonable to suppose that Vedel should have turned directly to the bishop for assistance in this respect, it was customary at this time to supplement historical writings with geographical introduction and explanatory maps. Some of the information that Ortelius gives about Iceland on the back of his map is taken directly from Vedel. Ortelius´ map of Iceland was for a long time attributed to Vedel, although even in the time of bishop Gudbrandur it was known that he was not the author. A contemporary of the bishop, the Danish historian Lyschander, attributes the map to the bishop without further comment, and the same applies to bishop Finnur Jónsson in his Ecclesiastical History. On his map Ortelius does not follow the calculations that bishop Gudbrandur had made on the latitude and longitude of the see at Hólar. It is not known when Gudbrandur completed his calculations, it may be after he handed over the map. The ocean is provided with a large number of whales and monsters, which can hardly have accompanied the original. They, along with polar bears, driftwood and sea ice, are marked with the letters A-Q which refer to explanations on the back of the map. Some of the information regarding these creatures may have come originally from Iceland, perhaps from bishop Gudbrandur by way of Vedel, who is given as authority for some of it. This would then have been added to and mixed with foreign fables and inflations. Most of the pictures can be traced originally to Olaus Magnus, though the immediate source is more probably Sebastian Münster, who adopted many of the former´s drawings in his Kosmographia (1544); with minor changes. It is not out of the question that some such drawings may have accompanied bishop Gudbrandur´s map, since he was a most accomplished draughtsman. In the text on the map itself there are various accounts which can probably be traced chiefly to Icelandic tales and superstitions, whether or not they were to be found on the bishop´s own map. The map has roughly 250 names, many of them rather distorted, though not so much as to be unrecognisable. In many cases they are given a Danish form, but there is no way of knowing whether this is the work of the Danish intermediary or whether the bishop himself made the changes for the convenience of his Danish readers. Some forms clearly represent misreadings of the bishop´s handwriting, arising from his use of insular letter forms, which was long in the custom in Iceland though quite unknown elsewhere at this time. Although the map is faulty in many ways, it is far superior to all earlier maps of Iceland in content and execution. Here for the first time we find a map giving a more or less complete survey of all settlements in the country and most places of interest. Apart from this the most striking thing is how angular the country is, with very prominent headlands. The south and east coasts are far too straight instead of being curved. The width is too great in relation to the length, a tendency which continued to plague maps of Iceland for a long time. The country is also placed too far north. The central highlands are extremely poorly represented, amazingly little being known about them then and indeed much later. Most of the principal glaciers, however, are marked on the map, though Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe is missing. Bishop Gudbrandurs´ map of Iceland in the version by Abraham Ortelius was printed without change from the same plates in every subsequent edition of the book in various languages after 1590, until publishing was discontinued in 1612. It is often difficult to see from what edition of the collection a particular map is. Most copies of the map that exist have been taken from editions of the book which have been torn up and the maps sold as individual sheets. Many copies have been coloured. The term of the old maps as represented in Carta marina by Olaus Magnus was now over, and most cartographers took bishop Gudbrandur´s map as their starting point. Ortelius was first on the spot, forcing others to follow him." (National and University Library of Iceland) Koeman Ort map 121. Van den Broecke 161. Potter p14. Moreland & Bannister p.93. Tooley Pl.99. GUARANTEE We do not sell reproductions. We guarantee that this is a genuine and original antique map that was published on or near the given date. A certificate of authentication is provided on request. SOLD This item is no longer available. Inquire if you seek another one. Antique Maps Leen Helmink