Maps by Abraham Ortelius

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Following the death of their father, Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) and his sisters became map illuminators or colourists; and Ortelius also dabbled in buying and selling general antiques. From 1558 onwards, he is recorded as purchasing multiple copies of maps in order to colour them, but also began building up a large personal collection.

Ortelius was certainly the “man for the moment” whose interest in history and the classics translated itself into his maps of the ancient world and, through his draughtsmanship and cartographic skills, the production of his maps of the modern, emerging world. His life spanned a period of dramatic European history and the cultural enlightenment of the late Renaissance, while his friendship with the great Gerard Mercator, and other connections with like-minded geographers, historians and academics around Europe, provided the raw material for one of the landmarks of cartographic history.

From about 1560, possibly as a result of his friendship with Mercator, Ortelius began to produce maps - an eight sheet world map being the earliest. At this time, Ortelius also began preparing his greatest project, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Having already become probably the greatest cartographic bibliographer of the period, Ortelius was able to prepare 53 map sheets based on the most up-to-date information, which were engraved by Frans Hogenberg, and first published in 1570.

The atlas achieved instant fame as “the world’s first regularly produced atlas” (Skelton), being the first atlas with maps prepared to a uniform format. It was also an immediate commercial success, being reprinted four times in 1570. Between 1570 and 1641 (the publication of the last recognised edition of the Theatrum …) few competing volumes appeared and the atlas was able to expand from its original 53 maps to over 160. Over 30 different editions, with text in Latin, French, Dutch, German, Italian, English or Spanish, testify to the popularity and esteem attributed to the work. Marcel Van Den Broecke, whose fascinating work on Ortelius and his maps is often quoted, estimates that around 7300 complete atlases were published using a total of 234 copperplates, either replacements or reworkings as plates became out-dated, worn, or as new information became available. Amongst this latter category, the maps added in the 1580’s and 90’s of the world, the Americas, China, the Pacific, Japan, Peru and Florida, and Iceland are important historically and justly famous.The maps themselves are finely engraved, often very decorative and generally found with text on the reverse.

After Ortelius’ death in 1598 the atlas continued to be printed and published by the Plantin Press. Between 1602 and 1609 it was published by Johann Baptist Vrients, who added a variety of fine maps including the very decorative large plates of England and Wales, and of Ireland. Publication reverted to the Plantin Press, under the control of the Moretus brothers, from 1612.

Although only the relatively unsuccessful atlases of De Jode and, ultimately, Mercator were published during the sixteenth century life of the Theatrum …, in 1607 Jodocus Hondius’s issue of Mercator’s Atlas ... with many newly prepared maps began to supersede Ortelius’ work.

World Maps Europe Maps Africa Maps Asia Maps America Maps British Isles Maps Wales Maps & Charts Ireland Maps & Charts Scotland Maps & Charts Portraits

World Maps
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Typus Orbis Terrarum mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1589 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 48 x 35 ref: 34119 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 6000 read more

Europe Maps
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Europae mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1584 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 46 x 34.5 ref: 34120 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1200 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Insularum Aliquot Maris Mediterranei Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 47.5 x 36 ref: 34147 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 560 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Cypri Insulae Nova Descript 1573 mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 49.5 x 35 ref: 34154 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1750 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Burgundiae Inferioris, Quae Ducatus Nomine ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1584 - medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 45 x 37 ref: 21485 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 380 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Burgundiae Comitatus Recentiss. Descriptio ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1579 -1584 medium and colour: copperplate, Original colour size in cms: 50 x 36 ref: 21486 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 480 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Cenomanorum Galliae Regionis / Britanniae Et Normandiae mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1595 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49.5 x 37.5 ref: 34132 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Provinciae Regionis Galliae, Vera Exactissimaque Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1595 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 50 x 35 ref: 34161 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 600 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Flandriae Comitatus Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1592 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 49 x 37.5 ref: 34157 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Hollandiae Antiquorum catthorum Sedis Nove Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 48.5 x 35 ref: 34159 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 600 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Lutzenbergensis Ducatus Veris Descrip mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1579 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 49 x 36 ref: 34160 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 680 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Turingia Noviss. Descript. ... / Misniae Et Lusatiae Tabula ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1574 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 44.5 x 29 ref: 10761 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 260 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Bavaria Olim Vindeliciae Delineationis Compendium mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1579 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 48.5 x 38 ref: 17180 added: 14 Aug 07 price: £ 400 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Saxoniae, Misniae, Thuringiae, Nova Exactissimaq[ue] Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1579 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 50 x 34 ref: 17191 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 260 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Germaniae Typus mapmaker: F.Hogenberg / A.Ortelius place and date of publication: London 1576 -1606 medium and colour: copperplate, Original o/l colour size in cms: 49 x 38 ref: 24388 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 780 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Helvetiae Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 45 x 34 ref: 34156 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1000 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Ducatus Mediolanensis, Finitarumque ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 47.5 x 35.5 ref: 34312 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 600 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Veronae Urbis Territorium ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 46.5 x 33 ref: 34314 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 520 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Regni Neapolitani Verissima Secundum Antiquorum ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49 x 36 ref: 34316 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 450 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Senensis Dictionis .../ Corsica / Marcha Anconae, Olim Picenum mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 48.5 x 32.5 ref: 34317 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 450 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Pedemontanae Vicinorumque Regionum ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 48.5 x 36.5 ref: 34323 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 520 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Larii Lacus Vulgo Comensis.. /Fori Iulii, Vulfo Friuli/..Romani. mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 47.5 x 34 ref: 34326 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 480 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Patavini Territorii ... / Tarusisni Agri Typus ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1595 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49 x 30.5 ref: 34328 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Aprutii Ulterioris Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1590 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 41.5 x 32 ref: 34403 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Rhetiae Alpestris ... Tirolis Comitatus / Goritiae, Karstii ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49.5 x 34 ref: 34409 added: 22 Jul 09 price: £ 480 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Pomeraniae ... Typ. / Livoniae Descriptio / Ducatus Oswieczensis mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1579 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 49.5 x 38.5 ref: 17253 added: 14 Aug 07 price: £ 320 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Poloniae, Lituaniaeq Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1595 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 48.5 x 37 ref: 34153 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 550 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Moraviae Quae Olim Marcomannorum Sedes Corographia ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1579 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 47 x 35 ref: 17183 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 300 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Romaniae ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1584 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 50 x 36 ref: 34152 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 550 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Russiae Moscoviae Et Tartariae mapmaker: A.Ortelius / P.Galle place and date of publication: Antwerp 1577 -1579 medium and colour: copperplate, Original colour size in cms: 11 x 8 ref: 33734 added: 05 Feb 09 price: £ 360 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Islandia mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1587 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 48.5 x 33.5 ref: 34145 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 7500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Septentrionalium Regionum Descrip mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 49 x 36 ref: 34151 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 2000 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Graeciae Universae ... Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 51 x 36 ref: 34148 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 800 read more

Africa Maps
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Africae Tabula Nova mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 50 x 38 ref: 34122 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1650 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Barbariae Et Biledulgerid, Nova Descriptio. mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570-1592 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49.5 x 32.5 ref: 29800 added: 14 Jun 07 price: £ 520 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Fessae Et Marocchi / Congi Regni mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1595 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 50 x 39 ref: 34121 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 650 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Presbiteri Ioannis, Sive, Abissinorum Imperii Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 - medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 43.5 x 37 ref: 32615 added: 07 May 08 price: £ 780 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Presbiteri Iohannis Sive Abissinorum mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 43 x 37 ref: 34137 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1200 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Acores Insulae mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1584 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 46 x 33 ref: 34130 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 600 read more

Asia Maps
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Asiae Nova Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1575 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 48 x 37 ref: 34123 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Persici Sive Sophorum Regni Typus mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49 x 35 ref: 34140 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 700 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Palestinae Sive Totius Terrae Promissionis Nova Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1579 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 45.5 x 34 ref: 17260 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 950 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Terra Sancta mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1584 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 50 x 37 ref: 34138 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 750 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Tartariae Sive Magni Chami Regni mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 46.5 x 35 ref: 34150 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1600 read more

America Maps
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Americae Sive Novi Orbis mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1587 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 47.5 x 35 ref: 34124 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 5200 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Maris Pacifici Quod Vulgo mar Del Zur mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1590 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49 x 34.5 ref: 34125 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 7500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Americae Sive Novi Orbis Nova Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1587 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 48.5 x 38.5 ref: 34660 added: 12 Nov 09 price: £ 5200 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	La Florida. Peruviae .... Guastecan mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1584 -1589 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 42.5 x 33 ref: 33768 added: 05 Feb 09 price: £ 2500 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Peruviae / La Florida / Guastecan Regio mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1584 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 46.5 x 34 ref: 34134 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 2500 read more

British Isles Maps
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Angliae, Scotiae, Et Hiberniae, Sive Britannicar: Insularum ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570-1612 medium and colour: Copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 49.5 x 34.5 ref: 29327 added: 25 Sep 07 price: £ 1250 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Angliae Et Hiberniae Accurata Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius / J.B.Vrients place and date of publication: Antwerp 1606 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 56.5 x 43 ref: 34127 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 5000 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Angliae, Scotiae Et Hiberniae mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 49 x 34 ref: 34133 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1000 read more

in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Angliae, Scotiae, Et Hiberniae, Sive Britannicar Insularum ... mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1570 medium and colour: copperplate, Original colour size in cms: 49.5 x 34 ref: 34702 added: 12 Nov 09 price: £ 1750 read more

Wales Maps & Charts
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Cambriae Typus Auctore Humfredo Lhuydo mapmaker: H.Lhuyd / A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 49 x 37 ref: 34128 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 800 read more

Ireland Maps & Charts
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Irlandiae Accurata Descriptio mapmaker: A.Ortelius / B.Boazio / J.B.Vrients place and date of publication: Antwerp 1603 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 57 x 44 ref: 34129 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 5200 read more

Scotland Maps & Charts
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	Scotiae Tabula mapmaker: A.Ortelius place and date of publication: Antwerp 1573 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Uncoloured size in cms: 47 x 35 ref: 34126 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 1200 read more

Portraits
in your basket remove view basket reserved sold	[Portrait] Abraham Ortelius mapmaker: A.Ortelius / P.Galle / J.B.Vrients place and date of publication: Antwerp 1579 -1612 medium and colour: copperplate, Coloured size in cms: 21 x 32 ref: 34118 added: 02 Jun 09 price: £ 600 read more