Elsass

Article description

Original antique copper engraving, hand coloured when published, depicting Elsass - Alsatia. Published by Jodocus Hondius, Amsterdam, 1609. Sheet: 362 by 433mm (14 by 17 inches).. A fine decorative example of antique cartography by Gerard Mercator, rich in period detail and historical significance. Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594) was a Flemish cartographer and geographer born in Rupelmonde, Flanders, widely regarded as the greatest cartographer of the sixteenth century. He is best known for developing the Mercator projection in 1569 — a cylindrical map projection that became the standard for nautical navigation and remains in use today. Mercator was also the first to use the term 'Atlas' for a bound collection of maps, publishing his Atlas sive cosmographicae meditationes beginning in 1585. He served as Court Cosmographer to Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, and established his cartographic workshop in Duisburg. After his death, his son Rumold and grandson Michael completed the atlas, which was later acquired and republished by Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam, reaching a far wider audience. Mercator-Hondius maps are among the most collected antique maps, celebrated for their accuracy, engraving quality, and historical importance. This original antique copper engraving depicts Elsass - Alsatia with characteristic seventeenth century cartographic detail — showing towns, rivers, mountain ranges, and administrative boundaries engraved with the precision and artistry of the period. Published by Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam, 1609. Dimensions: 362 by 433mm (14 by 17 inches).. In good condition for its age (published 1609). Colours well preserved. Some age-toning and minor imperfections consistent with a document of this antiquity. A condition report is available on request.

Gerard Mercator – Elsass · Original Antique Copper Engraving, Hand Coloured · Jodocus Hondius · Amsterdam 1609