Beschreibung:

Atlas - world] - ORTELIUS, Abraham - Theatre de l'Univers, contenant les cartes de tout le monde . Avec une brieve declaration d'icelles. Par Abraham Ortelius Le tout reveu, amendé, augmenté de plusieurs Cartes declarations par le mesme autheur. M.D.XCVIII. Antwerp, Plantin Press for Abraham Ortelius 1598, folio, 46,5 x 32 cm, cont. gilt overl. vellum, covers with triple gilt ruled border and central ornaments (stained), gilt spine on 5 raised bands, a.e.g., [6] ff. (clear waterstains on 1st quire), 119 folding maps, cont. col. (rather unobtrusive censor ink scribbling on title, on +/- 37 sm. fig. and on initials, a few sl. split. margins of the c'folds of the maps over 1-4 cm, only once invading the image (Spain), tiny hole in map 99 (due to paper quality), tiny def. near c'fold on a few maps (World, Europe, Frisia, Saxonia, Salzburg) due to transfer of paperflakes to the opposite side). Very good large margined copy.
Third French and last edition of the "Theatrum Orbis Theatrum" printed during the lifetime of the great Antwerp cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598). The 1st two complete copies of this ed. were delivered to J. Moretus on 6 July 1598 by Ortelius' sister, 2 days after the death of her brother Abraham. The 1st ed. of 1570 was continually revised and expanded for the next 40 years (even after Ortelius' death). The present ed. includes outer the 119 maps, a goldheightened engr. allegorical t.-p. and a portrait of Ortelius , all in a magnificent cont. bright colouring, with a detailed commentary. It is considered the 1st true atlas in the modern sense : a collection of uniform map sheets and accompanying text bound to form a book for which copper printing plates were specifically engraved. Some of the characters (nude female fig.) on the cartouches are overwritten by a censor because of prudery. Undoubtedly a fine copy of what was the most influential atlas ever published . Ref. Koeman Ort 32. Van der Krogt IIIA, 31:351. Imhoff O-61.