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Atlases from a Private Swiss Collection
VISSCHER, Nicolaes, II (1649-1702) [and Elizabeth VISSCHER (fl.1702-1726)]
Atlas minor sive geographia compendiosa qua orbis terrarum per paucas attamen novissimas tabulas ostenditura. Amsterdam: Nicolaes Visscher, [c. 1696-1706].
Details
VISSCHER, Nicolaes, II (1649-1702) [and Elizabeth VISSCHER (fl.1702-1726)]
Atlas minor sive geographia compendiosa qua orbis terrarum per paucas attamen novissimas tabulas ostenditura. Amsterdam: Nicolaes Visscher, [c. 1696-1706].
A handsome composite atlas, all finely coloured throughout by a contemporary hand and heightened with gold. Compiled and sold by the Visscher family of art dealers and cartographers at the end of the 17th and early 18th centuries, the present atlas includes: 2 double-hemisphere world maps, one printed on two sheets and folding by Jaillot dated 1691⁄1692, the other by Visscher; maps of the North and South Poles; 8 maps of Great Britain and Ireland including a magnificent folding map of Ireland printed on two sheets; 53 European maps including Central and Eastern Europe (i.e., Russia, Poland, Holy Roman Empire, Hungary and 2 of Greece [one of which folding]); 3 maps of the Middle East including one folding of the Ottoman Empire; 5 maps of Asia; 5 maps of Africa; and 5 maps of the Americas. 30 of the maps are by Nicolaes Visscher II; the remainder are by Frederick de Wit (22), Janssonius (4), Blaeu (2) and others.
When Visscher died in 1702, his widow, Elizabeth, continued publishing composite atlases with this title, and was later responsible for the Atlas Maior under her own name, and a new type of atlas De Stoel des Oorlogs depicting the countries involved in the War of Succession. Visscher atlases of this scope, condition, and quality of colouring are rare: Koeman lists 30 atlases published by the Visscher family from 1634 to after 1708; of these, only 2 under this title (Vis 26 and 27) contain more maps than the present example. Shirley lists one Visscher atlas in the British Library under this title which is larger with 272 maps bound in 2 volumes (Maps C.39.f9/1 and 2). Koeman III pp.165-172; Shirley BL T.VIS-3a.
Folio (530 x 330mm). Letterpress title, additional engraved decorative title in four colours heightened with gilt, 84 double-page engraved maps, of which 4 folding, together with one mileage chart, all coloured by a contemporary hand and heightened with gold (about a dozen maps with repairs to extremities on versos, more extensive to first 3 maps and maps 11, 39, 53 and 56, first world map trimmed just slightly into image, variable browning and soiling, map 52 of Spain and Portugal more heavily affected). ?Publisher’s calf in the Blaeu-style, covers panelled with gilt central arabesque, gilt edges (extremities rubbed, new red morocco gilt spine label).
Atlas minor sive geographia compendiosa qua orbis terrarum per paucas attamen novissimas tabulas ostenditura. Amsterdam: Nicolaes Visscher, [c. 1696-1706].
A handsome composite atlas, all finely coloured throughout by a contemporary hand and heightened with gold. Compiled and sold by the Visscher family of art dealers and cartographers at the end of the 17th and early 18th centuries, the present atlas includes: 2 double-hemisphere world maps, one printed on two sheets and folding by Jaillot dated 1691⁄1692, the other by Visscher; maps of the North and South Poles; 8 maps of Great Britain and Ireland including a magnificent folding map of Ireland printed on two sheets; 53 European maps including Central and Eastern Europe (i.e., Russia, Poland, Holy Roman Empire, Hungary and 2 of Greece [one of which folding]); 3 maps of the Middle East including one folding of the Ottoman Empire; 5 maps of Asia; 5 maps of Africa; and 5 maps of the Americas. 30 of the maps are by Nicolaes Visscher II; the remainder are by Frederick de Wit (22), Janssonius (4), Blaeu (2) and others.
When Visscher died in 1702, his widow, Elizabeth, continued publishing composite atlases with this title, and was later responsible for the Atlas Maior under her own name, and a new type of atlas De Stoel des Oorlogs depicting the countries involved in the War of Succession. Visscher atlases of this scope, condition, and quality of colouring are rare: Koeman lists 30 atlases published by the Visscher family from 1634 to after 1708; of these, only 2 under this title (Vis 26 and 27) contain more maps than the present example. Shirley lists one Visscher atlas in the British Library under this title which is larger with 272 maps bound in 2 volumes (Maps C.39.f9/1 and 2). Koeman III pp.165-172; Shirley BL T.VIS-3a.
Folio (530 x 330mm). Letterpress title, additional engraved decorative title in four colours heightened with gilt, 84 double-page engraved maps, of which 4 folding, together with one mileage chart, all coloured by a contemporary hand and heightened with gold (about a dozen maps with repairs to extremities on versos, more extensive to first 3 maps and maps 11, 39, 53 and 56, first world map trimmed just slightly into image, variable browning and soiling, map 52 of Spain and Portugal more heavily affected). ?Publisher’s calf in the Blaeu-style, covers panelled with gilt central arabesque, gilt edges (extremities rubbed, new red morocco gilt spine label).
Brought to you by
Eugenio Donadoni
Senior Specialist, Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts