Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 0(4)

Title: none. (Bottom cartouche:) "Spectandum dedit Ortelius mortalib. orbem, | Orbi spectandum Galleus Ortelium. | Papius" [Ortelius gave the mortals the world to look at, and Galle gave the world Ortelius to look at]. Note that orbs not only means world but also face.

Plate size: 322 x 214 mm

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:
1579L(AB) (verso:) Epigramma Rogersii (16 lines of cursive script) Vivianus (20 lines of cursive script ending:) "Hic eadem in partes singula quæque suas".
1580G (verso:) Epigramma Rogerii followed by two columns of 8 lines of cursive text each. Followed by "Eine uberschrifft" in two columns of Gothic script, ending with:) Und währt in alle ewigkeyt.
1581F (verso begins:) AV DEBONAIRE SPECTATEVR (40 line poem, below which, right aligned:) PLANT' EN CHRIST LA FOI.
1584L (verso: text of world map, ending:) GVALTERVS LVDOVICVS, in Speculo Orbis.)
1587F (verso:) AV DEBONAIRE SPECTATEVR (ending:) PLANT' EN CHRIST LA FOI.
1588S (verso:) Register, ending, third column:) Zeylan Isla 94.
1589G (verso:) Epigramma Rogerii followed by two columns of 8 lines of cursive text each. Followed by "Eine uberschrifft" in two columns of Gothic script, ending with:) Und währt in alle ewigkeyt.
1592L (verso: 6-line poem in cursive script followed by:) Io. Posthius Med. D.
1595L (verso: 6-line poem in cursive script followed by:) Io. Posthius Med. D.
1598F (verso :) AV DEBONAIRE SPECTATEVR (ending:) PLANT' EN CHRIST LA FOI.
1598D (verso last line of text:) Vaert wel,en ghebruijckt onsen arbeyt, uyt Antwerpen.1571.
1601L (verso: text ending with centred:) FINIS.
1602S (verso:) Register, ending, third column:) Zeylan Isla 94. (below which, centred:) FIN DE LA TABLA.
1602G (verso:) Epigramma Rogerii followed by two columns of 8 lines of cursive text each. Followed by "Eine uberschrifft" in two columns of Gothic script, ending with:) Und währt in alle ewigkeyt.
1603L (verso: 6-line poem by Rhedinger; 13-line poem by Vackerus; 18 line text by Miraeus, ending:) I. Lipsio V. Cl. officij gratia illustre positum illi Epitaphium visitur.
1606E (on verso: Second index, ending with a woodcut horizontal bar).
1608/1612I (on verso: 6-line text by Rhedinger, 13-line text by Vackerus and text by Miraeus ending:) co I. Lipsio V.Cl.officij gratia illustre positum illi Epitaphium visitur.
1609/1612L (verso: text ending with centred:) FINIS.
1609/1612/1641S (verso:) Register, ending, third column:) Zeylan Isla 94. (below which, centred:) FIN DE LA TABLA.

Approximate number of copies printed: about 6425.

States: In state 1, the hatching around the head is circular except for the lower left part of the portrait, where there is cross-hatching at the edge of the circle.
In state 2, introduced in the 1606E edition, the cross-hatching is extended towards the neck of Ortelius.

Sources: the source for this portrait was a painting on wood measuring 452 x 355 mm by Adriaen Thomaszoon Key (abt. 1544 to 1589), also referred to as Antonio Moro. It has "CONTEMNO | ET | ORNO" [I scorn and adorn] middle right. Key was like Ortelius a native of Antwerp and one of its leading portrait painters. In 1568 he joined the same guild as Ortelius did in 1547, viz. that of Saint Luke. This portrait was copied by Philips Galle who most probably engraved the present plate. In 1572, Galle published a book with portraits of learned persons called "Virorum doctorum de disciplinis benemerentium effigies" in 1572. On page C6 there is the same portrait as the present one, but somewhat smaller, in all probability based on the painting by Key. Below the portrait there is the following poem:
"Orteli, dum proponis spectandibus Orbem, | quam tua delectant structa theatra homines! | pulchrum opus est, plaudunt omnes; sed queis tua virtus | nota patet, plaudunt laetius artifici". [Ortelius, when you present your world to the spectators, how pleased are they for your elaboration of it, It is a splendid work, applauded by all. But those for whom your famous talent is most apparent, they will applaud you even more joyfully]. These words were written by Ortelius' good friend and writer of the first polyglot bible, the Spanish Arias Montanus. This small portrait, based on the painting by Key was the model for the present portrait.
Papius, the author of the quote below the portrait, refers to Andre de Pape (1542-1581), a poet and musician who was employed by the collegiate church of St. Martin in Liège.
Rubens painted the same portrait, but like Key in reversed version around 1620. This portrait can be seen today in the Plantin museum in Antwerp.
The Galle drawing and engraving of Ort0(4) also resulted in a coin that Ortelius ordered to be struck in 1578 in gold, silver and bronze showing on one side Ortelius' portrait looking towards the right with the text ABRAHAMVS ORTELIVS ANTVERP. and on the other side there is the text (in Greek lettering) PARA TOO THEOO MOORIA [Foolishness after God] around a picture of a snake encircling books, a symbol of the attainment of wisdom through the assiduous study of books.

References: B. Vuylsteke (1984) "Het Theatrum Orbis Terrarum van Abraham Ortelius (1595)" Unpublished dissertation, Leuven University, p. 45-49. Arader Galleries (undated but about 2008) "The most important maps since the dawn of printing; Part 1: Tradition and Innovation" New York, p. 21-22 dealing with the portrait by Key; Paul Binding (2003) "Imagined Corners Exploring the World's First Atlas", Headline Book Publishing, London, p. 42. George Tolias (2009) "Glose, Contemplation et Meditation" in "Les Meditations cosmographiques à l Renaissance" p. 158-186, Cahiers V.L. Saulnier (26)PUPS, Paris-Sorbonne.

(Followed by the portrait by Key (Binding p. 42) and by Rubens (Abraham Ortelius and the first atlas, p. 47) and a coin in bronze/silver/gold showing Ortelius' portrait (Abraham Ortelius and the first atlas, p. 48, Tolias).

No map text available

No bibliographical sources available

No topographical names available