Abraham Ortelius
36 x 52 cm
Early, copper-engraved map of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with part of the northern coastline of France.
This map would have been featured in Ortelius's landmark "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum", the very first modern atlas and the beginning of a new epoch in the history of cartography.
Geographically, the map is oriented east and the colouring shows the divisions of the historical kingdoms. The map is based upon Gerard Mercator's monumental eight-sheet wall map of the British Isles produced in 1564.
Latin text on verso (image available on request). Striking original colour. [Marcel van den Broeke: "Ortelius Atlas Maps" (Second Edition): ORT.16]
[GB1869]