[SCANDINAVIA] TABULA MODERNA NORBEGIE ET GOTTIE
[SCANDINAVIA] TABULA MODERNA NORBEGIE ET GOTTIE
WALDSEEMÜLLER, Martin

[SCANDINAVIA] Tabula Moderna Norbegie Et Gottie

Strasbourg
Johann Schott
1513
Size : 43 x 62.5 cm
Color : Coloris original
Condition : Très bon
Technique : Woodcut
Reference : 439-07
€8,000.00

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Description

Map of Scandinavia in original color, by Martin Waldeseemuller, based on the 14th manuscript maps by Sanuto and Vesconte, and updated by Nicholaus Germanus in 1482, with new towns and information.

As Ginsberg notes: "Waldseemuller's map ... appeared in the supplementary section of the modern maps. A faithful copy of the Ulm map published thirty-one years earlier, it is also woodcut. The title, however, differs from that of the Ulm edition of 1486 by no longer referring to Prussia and Livonia. As on the 1482 map, Norway is represented by "norbegia". Most of the same cities are also included: "asto" (Oslo), "begensis" (Bergen), Nodrosia (Niadros or Trondheim) and "Stauargerensis".

The 1513 edition of Ptolemy's Geographia

Ptolemy's 1513 Geographiae is considered to be the most important edition (Stevens), and is the first modern atlas (World encompassed no. 56). For the first time, the 27 maps of Ptolemy are supplemented by the 20 maps of Martin Waldseemüller allowing for an easy comparison between old and new maps.

Historical context: René d'Anjou, Peer of France, King of Naples, titular King of Sicily and Jerusalem was passionate about the Orient and interested in the Arabic alphabet. His grandson, Duke René II of Lorraine, had a great interest in literature, arts and sciences, including geography. He created in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges together with Vautrin Lud, an ecclesiastical school under the protection of the duchy of Lorraine and the Vatican. Nicolas Lud, nephew of Vautrin and secretary of the duke, hosted the printing house which worked for the propagation of scientific works (geometry, geography, music...). Around 1507, he brought Mathias Ringmann, an Alsatian university professor who had published in Strasbourg in 1505 the account of Vespucci's travels (De ora Antartica) to Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. They were soon joined by Martin Waldseemüller, a cartographer, draughtsman and surveyor trained in Freiburg and introduced to printing in Basel by his uncle. Together with Jean Basin, a Latinist, these men formed the Gymnase Vosgien. In 1507, they published a large map of the world, renowned for displaying the name of America for the first time on a map.

They thought of a new edition of Ptolemy's Geography that would take into account the new discoveries. Waldsemüller had a copy of Ptolemy lent to him by the Dominicans in Basel from the Cardinal of Ragusa, John Stojkovic. Ringmann went to Italy to visit the Italian philosopher and humanist Jean-François Pico della Mirandola, who lent him another manuscript of Ptolemy. René II of Lorraine provided Waldseemüller with recent nautical charts that indicated the new discoveries. Unfortunately, the duke died in 1508, which led to the bankruptcy of the printing house. In 1511 Ringmann also died. An "agreement" with the Strasbourg lawyers Jacob Aesler and Georg Übelin, who claimed authorship of the work and tried to remove the traces of their predecessors, allowed Johann Schott to print the Geography in Strasbourg in 1513. However, the edition reflects the concerns of the members of the Vosges Gymnasium.

Pastoureau, p.371; Phillips Atlases 359

WALDSEEMÜLLER, Martin

Martin Waldseemüller (c. 1470-1520) was a German cartographer and humanist geographer who made significant contributions to the field of cartography during the Renaissance. He is best known for creating the first map to use the name "America" to refer to the New World.

Waldseemüller was born in Wolfenweiler, a small village in the region of Breisgau, in what is now modern-day Germany. Not much is known about his early life and education, but it is believed that he received a solid humanist education, which included studying Latin and classical texts.

In 1507, Waldseemüller and his colleague Matthias Ringmann produced a groundbreaking map titled "Universalis Cosmographia." This map was part of a larger work called the "Gotha Manuscript," which aimed to provide a comprehensive description of the world's geography. The map depicted the world in a new and more accurate manner, incorporating information from recent voyages of discovery.

Most notably, Waldseemüller chose to honor the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci by naming the newly discovered lands in the western hemisphere "America" on his map. This decision was based on Vespucci's accounts of his voyages, which suggested that the lands were part of a separate continent and not connected to Asia, as previously believed.

Waldseemüller's map gained significant attention and influence, spreading rapidly throughout Europe and becoming one of the most influential maps of the time. It played a crucial role in popularizing the name "America" and establishing it as the accepted name for the New World.

In addition to his cartographic work, Waldseemüller was also involved in the printing and publishing industry. He worked as a writer and editor for the prominent Strasbourg-based publishing house of Johannes Grüninger. During this time, he contributed to the publication of several works on geography and cosmography, further solidifying his reputation as a knowledgeable and respected figure in the field.

Unfortunately, Waldseemüller's life was cut short, and not much is known about his later years. He died around 1520, leaving behind a significant legacy in the realm of cartography. His contributions, particularly the naming of America, had a profound and lasting impact on the way the world was perceived and represented in maps, shaping the course of exploration and geographical understanding in the centuries that followed.