Europa

Article description

Original copper engraving with hand-applied outline color, published by Tranquillo Mollo — Vienna's leading map publisher — circa 1810. Image: 205 x 252 mm (8 x 10 inches). Political borders shown in color, with engraved place names, rivers, and mountain ranges throughout. A fine example of early 19th-century Viennese cartography. Tranquillo Mollo (1767–1837) was the foremost map and atlas publisher in Vienna at the turn of the 19th century. A Swiss-Italian entrepreneur, he founded his publishing house in 1798 and rapidly became one of Austria's most important producers of globes and maps. His firm published an extensive range of maps covering Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia, maintaining a high standard of precise engraving and careful hand-coloring. Mollo's maps are characteristic of the best of the Vienna publishing trade in the early 19th century. This map shows the continent of Europe with political borders highlighted in outline color, with many engraved place names, rivers, and mountain ranges. It extends east towards the Caspian Sea and Siberia, and in the northwest depicts the eastern coast of Greenland and Iceland. The careful outline coloring was applied at the time of publication in the Mollo atelier in Vienna. Though published anonymously, the map is attributed to the Mollo firm on the basis of its style, format, and date. In excellent condition. Colors vivid and fresh. No tears, creases, or foxing. Ready to frame. 205 x 252 mm.

Europa – Original Hand-Colored Copper Engraving · T. Mollo, Vienna/Prague c. 1810 · Antique Map of Europe