Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 0(3)

Title: THEA|TRVM ORBIS | TERRA|RVM.

Plate size: but appoximately 331 x 371 mm.
Identification number: Ort0(3) third plate. vdKANIIIA: 31:1C.

Occurrence in Theatrum editions:
1579L(AB), first state (Ort0.3.1) (500 copies printed) (engraved text below image: "Opus nunc denuò ab ipso Auctore recognitum, multisquè locis castigatum, & quamplurimis | nouis Tabulis atquè Commentarijs auctum."), (on verso text:) DANIEL ROGERSIVS | AD THEATRVM ORBIS (followed by 22 lines of cursive text, ending: "Posteritas vos dum maior hic orbis erit");
1580/1589G second state (Ort0.3.2) (350 copies printed) (engraved title text, in Gothic font: Theatrum | oder, | Schawbuch | des Erdkreijs (text below image: "Opus nunc denuò ab ipso Auctore recognitum, multisquè locis castigatum, & quamplurimis | nouis Tabulis atquè Commentarijs auctum."; this text has been removed in 1589G; on verso text, in Gothic script: M. Tullius Ciocero | spricht | Das Pfert ist zu tragen.. (6 lines of text ending:) zu erwegen.
1581F, third state (Ort0.3.3) (400 copies printed); (centre of image has the text:) THEATRE | DE | L'UNIVERS, | CONTENANT LES | CARTES DE TOVT | LE MONDE. | AVEC VNE BRIEVE | DECLARATION | D'ICELLES. | "Par" | ABRAHAM ORTELIVS. (bottom line, printed from type, not engraved on the plate:) Le tout reveu, amende, et augmente de plusieurs Cartes & declarations par le mesme autheur. M.D.LXXXI. (on verso text:) M. TVLLIVS CICERO. (followed by 11 lines of large type ending:) ersel (followed by heart-like woodcut);
1587F, third state (Ort0.3.3) (250 copies printed); (centre of image has the text:) THEATRE | DE | L'UNIVERS, | CONTENANT LES | CARTES DE TOVT | LE MONDE. | AVEC VNE BRIEVE | DECLARATION | D'ICELLES. | "Par" | ABRAHAM ORTELIVS. (bottom line, printed from type, not engraved on the plate:) Le tout reveu, amende, et augmente de plusieurs Cartes & declarations par le mesme autheur. M.D.LXXXVII. (on verso text:) M. TVLLIVS CICERO. (followed by 11 lines of large type ending:) ersel (followed by heart-like woordcut);
1588S, third state (Ort0.3.3) (300 copies printed), (centre of image has the text:) THEATRO | DE LA | TIERRA | VNIVERSAL | DE | ABRAHAM ORTELIO, | COSMOGRAPHO D'EL | REY NVESTRO SENOR. | Con sus declaraciones traduzidas | d'el Latin. (Text below plate, in cursive script:) "Impresso en Anueres por Christoual Plantino, Prototypographo d'el Rey nuestro | Senor en sus Estados Baxos". Ano M.D.LXXXVIII. (Text on verso:) AL PRINCIPE followed by a whole page of text ending, right aligned:) posito ;
1598F, third state (Ort0.3.3) (525 copies printed) (centre of image has the text:) THEATRE | DE | L'UNIVERS, | CONTENANT LES | CARTES DE TOVT | LE MONDE. | AVEC VNE BRIEVE | DECLARATION | D'ICELLES. | "Par" | ABRAHAM ORTELIVS. (bottom line, printed from type, not engraved on the plate:) Le tout reveu, amende, et augmente de plusieurs Cartes & declarations par le mesme autheur. M.D.XCVII. (on verso text:) M. TVLLIVS CICERO. (followed by 11 lines of large type ending:) ersel (followed by heart-like woodcut);
1602S, fourth state (Ort0.3.4) (250 copies printed) (centre of image has the text:) THEATRO | D'EL ORBE | DE LA TIERRA | DE ABRAHAM ORTELLO. | El qual antes el estremo dia | de su vida por la postrera vez | ha emendado,y con nueuas | Tablas y Commentarios | augmentado y esclarescido. (On bottom bar of pedestal:) EN ANVERES, (below plate:) EN LA EMPRENTA PLANTINIANA, | A COSTAS DE IVAN BAPTISTA VRINTIO | ANNO M.DCII. (on verso: large emblem featuring Philip II with at the bottom two lines of text by Schottus:) "Regna vides Magni,ceu stemmata clara, PHILIPPI, | Imperium terris qua tenet ac pelago, | Justitia, alma Fides, Pietas, et auita vigebit | Relligio, hoc saluo Principe; CHRISTE faue".
1608/1612I, fifth state (Ort0.3.5) (300 copies printed) (text in centre:) THEATRO | DEL MONDO | DI ABRAHAMO ORTELIO: | Da lui poco inanzi la sua morte | riueduto, & di tuole nuoue,et | commenti adorno, & arrichito, | con la vita dell' Autore. | "Traslato in Lingua Toscana | dal Sig. Filippo Pigfetta". (Text below plate:) IN ANVERSA, | APPRESSO GIOVANNI BAP.ta VRINTIO, | M.D.CVIII. (Text on verso:) Engraving of Pope Clemens VIII who ruled from 1592-1605, surrounded by the text DEMONSTRA MIHI VIAS TVAS DOMINE, Psalm 24, and in bottom cartouche: "Aeternum viuo CLEMENTIS nomine, signant | CLEMENTEM coeli, sydera, serta, manus", P. Ludoicus Medardus.
1609/1612/1641S, fifth state (Ort0.3.5) (325 copies printed) (centre of image has the text:) THEATRO | D'EL ORBE | DE LA TIERRA | DE ABRAHAM ORTELLO. | El qual antes el estremo dia | de su vida por la postrera vez | ha emendado,y con nueuas | Tablas y Commentarios | augmentado y esclarescido. (Below plate) EN ANVERES, | SE VENDE EN LA LIBRERIA PLANTINIANA, | M.DC.XII. (On verso text: large emblem featuring Philip II with at the bottom two lines of text by Schottus:) "Regna vides Magni,ceu stemmata clara, PHILIPPI, | Imperium terris qua tenet ac pelago, | Justitia, alma Fides, Pietas, et auita vigebit | Relligio, hoc saluo Principe; CHRISTE faue".

States: third plate, first state, Ort0(3.1) from 1579L(A) onwards; hatching of bottom bar of pedestal no longer from upper left to lower right as on plate 1, but now from lower left to upper right. Shoot of branch just above grapes, lower right of Europe now sticks upwards instead of downwards. No frame around the image. No hatching left and right of bottom of pedestal. Bottom part of plate has the text: "Opus nunc denuò ab ipso Auctore rcognitum, multisquè locis castigatum, & quamplurimis | nouis Tabulis atquè Commentarijs auctum") but in different type than on plate 1. A small e has been inserted above the third and fourth letter of "recgnitum".
Third plate, second state, Ort0(3.2) from 1580 onwards; centre of plate cut out and filled with German text. No further changes.
Third plate, third state, Ort0(3.3) From 1581 onwards, the bottom lines of text were removed by cutting off part of the bottom of the plate.
Third plate, fourth state, Ort0(3.4) In 1602S, the bottom bar of the central text window received the inscription EN ENVERS
Third plate, fifth state, Ort0(3.5) in 1608, the inscription EN ENVERS on the bottom bar of the central text window was removed.

Approximate number of copies of third plate printed: 2700

References: Rolf Blankemeijer (2005) Plaat of staat? De titelpagina van het Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. "Caert-Thresoor" 24.3. Blankemeijer only recognises two plates; R.W. Shirley (1996) "The title pages to the Theatrum and Parergon" in M. van den Broecke, P. van der Krogt and P. Meurer (eds.) "Abraham Ortelius and the first atlas", HES Publishers; W. Waterschoot (1979) The title-page of Ortelius' Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, "Quaerendo" 9(1):43-68; P. van der Krogt (2003) New Atlantes Neerlandici Vol. IIIA p. 37-40; B. Vuylsteke (1984) "Het Theatrum Orbis Terrarum van Abraham Ortelius (1595). Een studie van de decoratieve elementen en de gehistorieerde voorstellingen", unpublished dissertation, University of Leuven, p. 29-44.

Background on this plate: see Ort0(1).

No map text available

No bibliographical sources available

No topographical names available