Original hand-coloured copper engraved map of the World surrounded by mythical vignettes adapted from the Visscher-Berchem map of 1658, this map stands as the most decorative of 17th century Dutch Bible Maps. Featuring iconic scenes from Greek mythology and intriguing geographical inaccuracies such as California depicted as an island, this map embodies the artistic flamboyance and geographical understanding of its time.
All Dutch discoveries of the West and Northern coast of Australia are annotated including Landt van d’Eendracht, Houtmans Abrolhos, d’Edels Landt, Landt van de Leeuwin and Landt van Peter Nuyts and to the north Van Diemens Land with other annotations describing rivers and landmarks especially in the North.
In the mid-17th century, Dutch cartography was at its zenith, with Amsterdam becoming the centre of the world map trade. This period, often referred to as the Golden Age of Dutch cartography, saw a fusion of art and geography that is beautifully represented in Stoopendaal’s map. The map’s margins are adorned with scenes from Greek mythology, including the abduction of Persephone, Zeus in his eagle-drawn chariot, Poseidon with his entourage, and Demeter receiving Earth’s fruits. These embellishments lend the map a distinctive aesthetic character that transcends its functional role as a geographical representation.
Geographically, the Orbis Terrarum Tabula Recens Emendata et in Lucem Edita reflects the 17th-century understanding of the world. It showcases California as an island with a flat northern coastline labelled Nova Albion, a prevalent misconception in maps of that era. Other intriguing features include the small island near Alaska labelled Anian, a severely truncated northeastern coastline of Asia with the Great Wall of China illustrated, and the incomplete coastlines of northern and Western Australia, Van Diemens Landt, and New Zealand after Tasman.
In the intersection of geography and astronomy, the map includes diagrams of the Copernican and Ptolemaic solar system theories, nestled between its cusps. These illustrations reflect the cosmological debates of the era, providing a visual summation of two competing theories of celestial mechanics.
This is the first state of the Orbis Terrarum Tabula Recens Emendata et in Lucem Edita with the imprint of A. Hogeboom Gelettert below the bottom neatline, this map stands as an invaluable artifact of Dutch Bible maps. It encapsulates the interplay of art, mythology, geography, and astronomy in a way that is both visually striking and historically significant.
References:Â Shirley, Rodney, The Mapping of the World, #513; Poortman & Augusteijn #129
