1834 Van Ellemeet Allegorical Map of 'Academy Land'

Eternal Challenges of the College Student.

This is Willem van Ellemeet's creative c. 1834 allegorical map of the journey of a university student, published in the Utrechtsche Studenten-Almanak. Although containing elements reflective of the Romanticism of the era, it also demonstrates that some of the concerns, anxieties, and humor of university students are eternal.

A Closer Look

This inventive map presents a fantasy world for the student to traverse, fraught with adventure, challenges, and perils. Placenames are a combination of Latin and Dutch, with the expectation that university students would be well-learned enough in Latin and Greco-Roman mythology to get the jokes embedded in many names. The style is reminiscent of maps of the era, marking forts, settlements, waterways, mountains, forests, and even a fictional battle site, along with some unconventional and fantastical elements including temples, volcanoes, and Noah's Ark. The different lands reflect the course of study of a typical university student of the era, with territory dedicated to theology, literature, philosophy, medicine (Land van Aesculapius), and law (Land van Themis).

Other placenames indicate the troubles that might befall a student, including the Creditors' Swamps (Moerassen van Crediteuren) and the temptations of drink and sexual desire (both a Land and temple of Bacchus in addition to domains of Venus and Diana), among other diversions. Around the borders of the map are El Dorado, a 'Land of Wanderings,' the Land of the Philistines, and the 'Fatherland' at top-left, with a gymnasium and 'Patropolis,' presumably the starting point for the student's journey through Academy Land.

Some of the references and jokes are distinctly Dutch, beginning with the inclusion of the real cities of Utrecht (Leeuwenburg) and Antwerp at top (Haarlem, London, Vienna, and Konigsberg also make appearances). The lowland geography of the Netherlands is also alluded to at bottom-left with Finisterre / Aangeslibd Land, Terra Hydrotechnica, and Drijvend Eiland van Variabelen. More subtly, the 'Land of Philistines' at top-right is filled with Dutch windmills, a snarky swipe at Dutch society outside of the Academy. Van Ellemeet also may have given himself an island (Willems-Eiland) towards bottom-right, just above the 'Land of Terror' (Land van Verschrikking), though this could also be a reference to any number of prominent Willems, including the contemporary king and crown prince.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Willem van Ellemeet and appeared in the 1834 periodical Utrechtsche Studenten-Almanak. It was very likely inspired by his time in Oxford, England, during his travels through Europe (see biography below) and Joseph Vincent's 1819 book Oxford in Epitome, an allegorical tale of an Oxford student's academic journey. This map is rare to the market and is only cataloged at Harvard University, Leiden University, Utrecht University, and the Bibliotheek Deventer, while collections of the entire periodical are more widespread, again primarily in the Netherlands.

Cartographer

Van Ellemeet, Willem Cornelis Mary de Jonge (May 5, 1811 - July 1, 1888) was a Dutch intellectual, politician, and revolutionary. Born in the Hague, he belonged to the influential De Jonge family, a lineage of Dutch nobility. As a nobleman of the era, he was educated with the expectation of entering public service, studying law at the Utrechtsche Hoogeschool. Soon after commencing his studies, he was caught up in the movement to support Prince William of Orange's accommodationist position during the Belgian Revolution. In the mid-1830s, van Ellemeet undertook a 'Grand Tour,' traveling widely throughout Europe, before earning his doctorate in law from Utrecht University. Afterwards, he entered politics, becoming Mayor of Oostkapelle, a member of the Provincial Council (or States) of Zeeland, and a member of the Netherlands' senate (First Chamber / Eerste Kamer). Van Ellemeet was an avid amateur botanist and had a large collection of plants. His greatest legacy was probably his Overduin Estate, containing his large Neoclassical home, which he also used to test out new agricultural and land management techniques.   Further Details...

Source

Utrechtsche studenten almanak voor het jaar 1834, (Utrecht: J. van Schoonhoven en N. Van der Monde) 1834.    

Condition

Fine.

References

OCLC 743283462.