HONDIUS, Henricus (1597-1651).
Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica Ac Hydrographica Tabula Auct. Henr: Hondio.
Engraving with original hand color.
From Atlas Sive Cosmographicae Mediationes…
Amsterdam, c. 1630.
18 3/4” x 22 1/2” sheet, 30 1/2” x 34 1/2” framed.

Splendid Map of the World from one of the Most Significant and Celebrated 17th-Century Atlases.

In 1629, threatened by pending competition from the mapmaking firm of Willem Janszoon Blaeu and his sons, Henricus Hondius and his partner Jan Jansson set about revising the Mercator-Hondius atlas, their most noted production. Mercator, the most celebrated cartographer of the 16th century, died in 1594 after publishing just a few parts of the atlas that he had spent decades preparing. In 1604, the plates for his maps were sold to the great Amsterdam cartographer, Jodocus Hondius, who brought out the first of the so-called "Mercator-Hondius" editions in 1606. Hondius supplemented the original 107 maps with 39 new maps compiled under his own supervision, bringing the total number to 146, and has the original text expanded by Petrus Montanus. The new maps were of extremely high quality, and were for the most part devoted to parts of the world, such as America, that had been neglected by Mercator. Hondius's first edition of the general atlas proved instantly popular, selling out within a year, and he continued to augment and perfect it over the following years, constantly adding new maps and incorporating new discoveries and corrections. In 1629, when Hondius and Jansson revised the world map, it had not been updated for nearly 35 years, and with this splendid map, they signaled a rejuvenation of the atlas and of their business.

The new world map is a splendid and ornate example of the best in decorative cartography of the time. The two hemispheres are bordered by sumptuous representations of the four elements and other scenes. In the top corners are portraits of Julius Caesar and Claudius Ptolemy, and in the bottom corners are portraits of the author's father Jodocus Hondius and his mentor Gerard Mercator, all luminaries in the history of geographical innovation. California is represented, in a famous geographical error, as and island, and the map included such new discoveries as part of the north Australia coastline extending towards-New Guinea and a redrawing of north-east Canada with "Queen Anne's forland" (Baffin Island) showing completely encircled by open water. This map is an important and striking work from the Golden Age of Dutch Cartography.