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BLAEU, Willem (1571-1638); TODESCHI, Pietro (17th cent.). [Nova Acurata Totius Americae Tabula]. [Bologna: Giuseppe Longhi, c.a. 1673].
Italian print of the map of America from the famous series of the four continents first published by Blaeu in 1608 in Amsterdam, the masterpiece of Dutch cartography of the Gouden eeuw. Blaeu was a pupil of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (Kepler's teacher) from 1594 to 1596 and on his return to Amsterdam he founded the Officina Blaviana, specialising in the production and sale of maps, globes and scientific instruments. He was assisted in the enterprise by the cartographer Hessel Gerritsz (1580-1632) and the engraver Joshua van de Ende. After the first edition in 1608, the four continents were subsequently published in 1612, and in 1624 they were reissued by Hendrik Hondius and in 1655 by Nicholas Visscher. In Italy, a version was published in 1646 by Stefano Mozzi Scolari (1598-1650) from whom Pietro Todeschi later derived this version. Between the two the differences are minimal, but in this version the 'Mare del Nort' of Scolari's version becomes 'Mare del Noi'.The American continent is already very well delineated in this map, even though South America appears undersized due to the inaccuracy of the determination of longitude. The Atlantic coast of Canada follows the measurements of the voyages of Samuel de Champlain and Gua de monts in 1604, Cape Horn is represented following the discovery of the passage by Lamaire in 1616, as well south-eastern Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific, reached by Abel Tasman in his two voyages of 1642-1644; in the cartouches at the side the coasts of the South Pole terra australis incognita and the undefined borders north of Canada are represented. The series, which is very scarce, is recorded in this version on the Italian peninsula in 2 complete copies of the 4 continents and the side cartouches: at the Italian Geographic Society in Rome and at the Vatican Library. Other copies are at the Library of Congress (2 copies); Harry Ransome Center, UT, Austin; RGS, London; Luneburg Museum, Germany; Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd, Amsterdam-Engraved map (820 x 1055mm) printed on four sheets (restored in the 20th century, several chips with integrations in blank leaves, restorations) The side and top cartouches, printed separately and depicting the customs of the peoples and bearing the title, are not present. (1)
ESTIMATE € 4,000 - 6,000
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