Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 78


image of the map

Title: ZELANDICARVM | INSVLARVM EXAC:|TISSIMA ET NOVA | DESCRIPTIO, AVC:|TORE D. IACOBO | A DAVENTRIA.
[An exact and new depiction of the Zeeland islands, by the author Jacobus of Deventer].
Plate size: 335 x 465 mm.
Scale: 1 : 400,000.
Identification number: Ort 78 (Koeman/Meurer: 18, Karrow: 1/26, van der Krogt AN: 3600:31).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:

1570L(A)18 (100 copies printed) (first text line ends: miraculis ; last line, centred like one line above it: landi Vrbium Germaniæ inferioris descriptiones. ; no full stop after title),
1570L(B)18 (100 copies printed) (first text line ends: hæc ha ; last line, left aligned: landi Vrbium Germaniæ inferioris descriptiones. ; full stop after title),
1570L(C)18 (125 copies printed) (first textline ends: miraculis; last line, centred like one line above it: landi Vrbium Germaniæ inferioris descriptiones. ; full stop after title),
1571L18 (275 copies printed) (first text line ends: hæc ha- ; last line, centred like one line above it: landi Vrbium Germaniæ inferioris descriptiones.),
1571/1573D18 (350 copies printed) (last line, in cursive script like the entire text, centred like two lines above it: "zeelandt heeten van ghelegenheyts weghen."),
1572/1574F18 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like 3 lines above it, in cursive script like the entire text: "Pays du Mer."),
1572G18 (Koler)(pasted over p.18 of a 1570L edition; few copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in Gothic script except for one name: volkomen bericht. Item Adriani Barrij beschreibung der Stett des Niderlandes.)
1572/1573G18 (225 copies printed) (last line, cursive like the entire text, centred like 2 lines above it: "wegen der gelegenhait) Selandt haißen."),
1573L(AB)22 (75 copies printed) (version A: last line, centred like one line above it: landi Vrbium Germaniæ inferioris descriptiones ; Version B: last line, centred like 2 lines above it: inferioris descriptiones.),
1574L22 (175 copies printed) (entire text in non-cursive script, in contrast to 1575L; large page number, 11 mm; last line, centred like the 4 lines above it: hoc loco debere legi apud Procopium,putat Pet.Diuæus.),
1575L22 (100 copies printed) (entire text in cursive script; small page number, 7 mm; last line, centred like the 4 lines above it: "hoc loco debere legi apud Procopium,putat Pet.Diuæus".),
1579L(A)33 (250 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it, in cursive script like the entire text: "bere legi apud Procopium,putat Petrus Diuæus." 5th line from the bottom ends: "ostia,à Septentrione Hol-"),
1579L(B)33 (250 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it, in cursive script like the entire text: "bere legi apud Procopium,putat Petrus Diuæus." 5th line from the bottom ends: "ostia, à Septentrione Hol-"),
1580/1589G33 (350 copies printed) (last line, centred like 5 lines above it, in Gothic script: soll.),
1581F33 (400 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "de Mer".),
1584L39 (750 copies printed) (last line, centred like two lines above it, in italic script like the entire text: "debere legi apud Procopium,putat Petrus Diuæus".),
1587F39 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned, in cursive script like the entire text: "de , comme si diriez , Pays de Mer" .),
1588S39 (300 copies printed) (last line, centred like 4 lines above it: Abroditos.),
1592L41 (525 copies printed) (left aligned, in cursive script like most of the text: "Sunt autem hæ peruiæ: sed hominum & artis, non Naturæ industria."),
1595L43 (500 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: uiæ:hominum autem,& artis,non naturæ industria.),
1598/1610/1613D35 (100 copies printed) (last line, centred like 3 lines above it: landt heeten van gheleghentheyts vveghen.),
1598F46 (525 copies printed) (last line, italic like the entire text, left aligned: "comme si diriez,Pays de Mer".),
1601L43 (200 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: læ peruiæ:hominum autem,& artis,non naturæ industria.),
1602G46 (250 copies printed) (last line, centred like 5 lines above it, in Gothic script like the entire text: soll.),
1602S46 (250 copies printed) (last line, full width: Todauia estas Islas son nauegables,por arte y industria de los hõbres,y no por naturaleza.),
1603blank (Vri1) no text or page number,
1603L46 (300 copies printed) (19th line ends: Zelãdiæ pars, ; last line, left aligned: hominum autem,& artis, non naturæ industria.),
1606E46 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: of man, and not by the benefit and nature of the place.),
1608/1612I51 (300 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: che da per tutto è la strada, non gia per industria di natura, ma gli huomini & dell'arte.),
1609/1612L50 (300 copies printed) (19th line ends: Zelandiæ pars, ; last line, left aligned: hominum autem,& artis, non naturæ industria.),
1609/1612/1641S49 (325 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: hombres, y no por naturaleza.).

Approximate number of copies printed: 8175.

States: 78.1 above.
78.2: In 1572, the title cartouche was reworked: the left part of the rightmost curved structure which used to have a few horizontal lines now receives quite a few vertical lines. The right bird now has a curved beak. Neptune also received ornamental corrections: the beard becomes longer and the right ear has now been covered.
78.3: In the 1573L (A version (e.g. MMR Rotterdam), Scerpenisse was added West of the place name Tolen.
78.4: in the 1573L (B) version (e.g. UBAmsterdam) Ter nuesen (Terneuzen) was added Northwest of Axele.
78.5: in the 1574L edition, the hachuring on the sails of the ship was changed in direction. First it was from lower left to upper right, after the change it is from upper left to lower right.
78.6: From 1579L (B) version onwards, the islands right of Corendijk were connected to Strijen. The water De gorsse van Egmont, originally engraved diagonally from upper left to lower right, is now reengraved horizontally. Further, the vertical hachuring on the right fin of the sea monster was changed from vertical on the lower part only to horizontal over the entire fin, following its shape. The hachuring on the large ships sail which was first vertical, following the shape of the sails, is now diagonal from the upper left to the lower right. The hachuring of the ships hulk, which was first horizontal, has now been changed to diagonal from the upper right to the lower left. The sail of the first small ship to the right of Neptune originally had horizontal hachuring. This has now been changed to vertical hachuring, following the sail. For the second ship to the right of Neptune, the reverse has happened. Whereas the first hachuring was vertical, following the line of the sail, it is now horizontal.
76.7: From 1584 onwards, the following areas appear as inundated: Welsingen on the Southeast of Walcheren, Stuuesant on the Southwest of Zuid-Beveland, and Zuytkercke on the South coast of Schouwen.
78.8: From 1592L onwards, the village symbol above p of Westdorp southwest of Axele was removed or wore off. The surrounding area newly and heavily hachured with a wavering pattern whereas earlier editions had straight horizontal hachuring, by now largely faded, suggesting frequent flooding. Wavy patterns were also added on the inundated piece of land on Southeast Voorn and on the Eastern part of Zuid Beveland where Reijmerswale is found.
Willemstat and Schans van Noord dam were added Northwest and South of Seuenbergen. Hillen was added here, Cloender was reengraved as Clundert and Ruygenhil was added.
78.9: In 1609L the following forts were added around the area of Sluis: S. Philippe, Fort S. George, Hasegat and Ysendyck.
78.10: in or shortly after 1620: the name Blockhuys on Walcheren was changed to Ramme:/kens. South of Tolen two nameless forts were added. The fort Liefkenshoek and a nameless fort near Callo (close to Antwerpen) were added on the west bank of the river Schelde, and nameless forts near Lillo, Oordam and Wilmerdock on the east bank of the Schelde. The waves have now largely disappeared.

Cartographic sources: Jacob van Deventer's province map of Zeeland, first edition 1547, second edition published by Willem Sylvius in 1560. (Karrow 25/11, p. 149-150, Meurer p. 139).

References: H.A.M. van der Heijden "Ortelius and the Netherlands", p. 271-290 in: M. van den Broecke, P. van der Krogt and P. Meurer (eds.) "Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas", HES Publishers, 1998. Blonk, D.I. (2006) De Ortelius-van Deventer kaart van Zeeland, een kaart met veel staten "Caert-Thresoor" 25:59-63. A critical comment on this article: Marcel van den Broecke (2007) Ortelius' Zeeland kaart revisited, "Caert-Thresoor" 26:16.

Remarks: Note the splendid Neptune on the whale and vessel in the sea area. The ship shown here is also depicted on the Septentrionalium map (Ort160), but viewed from a different angle. Johannes and Lucas van Doetichem are most likely the engravers of this map.

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