Abraham Ortelius
From; "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" (6). Worldmap, Europe, Asia, Africa, America and portrait. 1579
Typus Orbis Terrarum: P. 33,7 x 49,6 cm. S. 42,8 x 55 cm. Europae: P. 34 x 45,7 cm. S. 41-41,5 x 54 cm. Asia Nova Descriptio: P. 36,7 x 47,8 cm. S. 42,5 x 55,3 cm. Africa Tabula Nova: P. 37,5 x 50,4 cm. S. 43 x 55,2 cm. Americae Sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio: P. 35,8 x 49,5 cm. S. 43 x 55 cm. Abraham Ortelius (portrait): P. 32,3 x 20,8 cm. S. 46 x 27,5 cm. All from the 1579 Latin edition.
More information
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum is considered to be the first true modern atlas, written by Abraham Ortelis (1527-1598). The Atlas is a collection of uniform map sheets and sustaining text bound to form a book, for which copper printing plates were specially engraved. Many of the maps were based upon sources that no longer exist or are extremely rare. The Theatrum was the most authoritative work during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. It first appeared in 1570 and continued to be published until 1612, during this period thirty-one editions were published in seven different languages - a remarkable figure for the time.