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1749 Homann Heirs Map of the Republic of Genoa, Italy

Genova-homann-1749
$200.00
Mappa Geographica Status Genuensis. - Main View
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1749 Homann Heirs Map of the Republic of Genoa, Italy

Genova-homann-1749


Title


Mappa Geographica Status Genuensis.
  1749 (dated)     22.5 x 19.5 in (57.15 x 49.53 cm)     1 : 400000

Description


This is a beautifully detailed 1749 Homann Heirs map of the Republic of Genoa (modern day Liguria), Italy. It covers the north-western part of Italy from Monaco to Massa. The map is exceptionally detailed, noting towns, rivers, lakes, cities and a host of additional topographical features.

During this time in history, to prevent the division of the republic, Genoa participated in the War of the Austrian Succession against the Kingdom of Sardinia and in 1745 declared war on Piedmont-Sardinia. It would be occupied by the Austrian forces in 1746. Corsica announced independence from the Republic in Genoa and in 1768, with the Treaty of Versailles, Genoa's claims to Corsica would be sold to the French.

A key is included in the lower right quadrant of the map while a beautiful title cartouche adorns the lower half the map. This map was issued by Homann Heirs in 1749.

Cartographer


Johann Baptist Homann (March 20, 1664 - July 1, 1724) was the most prominent and prolific map publisher of the 18th century. Homann was born in Oberkammlach, a small town near Kammlach, Bavaria, Germany. As a young man, Homann studied in a Jesuit school and nursed ambitions of becoming a Dominican priest before converting to Protestantism in 1687. Following his conversion, Homann moved to Nuremberg and found employment as a notary. Around 1693, Homann briefly relocated to Vienna, where he lived and studied printing and copper plate engraving until 1695. Afterward, he returned to Nuremberg, where, in 1702, he founded the commercial publishing firm that would bear his name. In the next five years, Homann produced hundreds of maps and developed a distinctive style characterized by heavy detailed engraving, elaborate allegorical cartouche work, and vivid hand color. Due to the lower cost of printing in Germany, the Homann firm could undercut the dominant French and Dutch publishing houses while matching their diversity and quality. By 1715, Homann's rising star caught the attention of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who appointed him Imperial Cartographer. In the same year, he was also appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Homann's prestigious title came with several significant advantages, including access to the most up-to-date cartographic information as well as the 'Privilege'. The Privilege was a type of early copyright offered to very few by the Holy Roman Emperor. Though less sophisticated than modern copyright legislation, the Privilege offered limited protection for several years. Most all J. B. Homann maps printed between 1715 and 1730 bear the inscription 'Cum Priviligio' or some variation. Following Homann's death in 1724, the firm's management passed to his son, Johann Christoph Homann (1703 - 1730). J. C. Homann, perhaps realizing that he would not long survive his father, stipulated in his will that the company would be inherited by his two head managers, Johann Georg Ebersberger (1695 - 1760) and Johann Michael Franz (1700 - 1761), and that it would publish only under the name 'Homann Heirs'. This designation, in various forms (Homannsche Heirs, Heritiers de Homann, Lat Homannianos Herod, Homannschen Erben, etc.) appears on maps from about 1731 onwards. The firm continued to publish maps in ever-diminishing quantities until the death of its last owner, Christoph Franz Fembo (1781 - 1848). More by this mapmaker...

Condition


Very good. Original fold lines exhibit minor wear and creasing. Original platemark visible. Blank on verso.