HONDIUS, Henricus (1597–1651) — *Silesia Ducatus nova et accurata descriptio*. Amsterdam: Johannes Janssonius, 1645–1658.
HONDIUS, Henricus (1597–1651) — *Silesia Ducatus nova et accurata descriptio*. Amsterdam: Johannes Janssonius, 1645–1658.
Hand-colored copperplate engraving, paper, 388 × 505 mm, on a sheet measuring 504 × 582 mm; text in Dutch on the reverse. Slight discoloration of the paper; reinforcement at the fold.
One of the most detailed maps of the Duchy of Silesia produced in the mid-17th century. The map covers the area from the Margraviate of Brandenburg in the northwest to the Polish border in the northeast, and extends south to Moravia. Rivers, forests, and settlements are depicted with great accuracy, with hundreds of towns and villages marked. Roads are marked with dashed lines, and mountain ranges are shown in profile along the southern border. The richly decorated title cartouche in the upper right corner is adorned with floral motifs and a heraldic element. On the reverse side is a text containing a geographical and historical description of the duchy.
The map is a revised version of Gerard Mercator’s map of Silesia, reworked and published by Johannes Janssonius in his atlases. Like other publishers of the time, Janssonius made use of existing copperplate engravings and earlier cartographic sources, while significantly expanding and updating the geographical content of the atlas. The map is an excellent example of the high standard of cartography produced by the Janssonius and Hondius publishing house during its period of greatest prosperity.
Van der Krogt 1, 323; Imago Silesiae 23.
HONDIUS, Henricus (1597–1651) — *Silesia Ducatus nova et accurata descriptio*. Amsterdam: Johannes Janssonius, 1645–1658.
Hand-colored copperplate engraving, paper, 388 × 505 mm, on a sheet measuring 504 × 582 mm; text in Dutch on the reverse. Slight discoloration of the paper; reinforcement at the fold.
One of the most detailed maps of the Duchy of Silesia produced in the mid-17th century. The map covers the area from the Margraviate of Brandenburg in the northwest to the Polish border in the northeast, and extends south to Moravia. Rivers, forests, and settlements are depicted with great accuracy, with hundreds of towns and villages marked. Roads are marked with dashed lines, and mountain ranges are shown in profile along the southern border. The richly decorated title cartouche in the upper right corner is adorned with floral motifs and a heraldic element. On the reverse side is a text containing a geographical and historical description of the duchy.
The map is a revised version of Gerard Mercator’s map of Silesia, reworked and published by Johannes Janssonius in his atlases. Like other publishers of the time, Janssonius made use of existing copperplate engravings and earlier cartographic sources, while significantly expanding and updating the geographical content of the atlas. The map is an excellent example of the high standard of cartography produced by the Janssonius and Hondius publishing house during its period of greatest prosperity.
Van der Krogt 1, 323; Imago Silesiae 23.
