1670 Gerard Jollain separately-issued plan of Biblical Jerusalem

Rare, separately-issued Biblical Jerusalem.

This is a rare, separately-issued c. 1670 Gerard Jollain the Elder broadsheet map of Biblical Jerusalem, after Christian van Adrichem: an allegorical depiction of Jerusalem during Christ's lifetime. This work was instrumental in codifying elements of Christian veneration of the Holy City, in particular the Stations of the Cross.

A Closer Look

For such a work, the physical geography of Palestine and Jerusalem was not as relevant as conformity to scripture. In this respect, the map is unparalleled in its usefulness. The Holy City is portrayed in a rectilinear form divided into three major historical zones. At the bottom of the engraving, 134 locations are listed in 14 columns, guiding the reader to Biblical events both inside the city and out.

Stations of the Cross

More importantly, Adrichem cartography was instrumental in codifying elements of Christian veneration of the Holy City, in particular the Stations of the Cross. Catholic practice had, since the Middle Ages, incorporated the reenactment by the faithful of the Via Dolorosa, the route followed by Jesus on the day of the Crucifixion. Pilgrims to Jerusalem would follow the route through the Holy Land, but with the expansion of the Turkish Empire, such travel was impossible for most. Many Christian cities began to assemble pilgrimage routes locally to allow pilgrims to follow a metaphorical Via Dolorosa without dangerous travel to distant lands. Churches and cathedrals would illustrate the Stations of the Cross - the different scenes along the Via Dolorosa - in their architecture and decoration. There was little system to this, however, and broad differences between different localities. Adrichem's text and plan of Jerusalem provided a model that all could follow, and that the faithful could practice even from the comfort of their own homes, in a sort of 'Pilgrimage of the Mind.'

A Beautiful and Evocative Engraving

The Adrichem map provided the model for many Jerusalem plans, from the 16th to the 19th century; while these generally adhere to the content of Adrichem's map with uniformity, the overall presentation and decorative elements vary widely from engraver to engraver. Jollain's superb mountains in the background rival or surpass any other iteration we have seen; his angel at upper right, sporting a palm branch and a trumpet, is an addition unique to this map.

Publication History and Census

This view was engraved by Gerard Jollain the Elder and separately published; Chez Jollain is not known to have produced any atlases or city books. Institutional collections date this engraving inconsistently, apparently choosing the dates assigned to atlas factices, in which it was sometimes included. The address accompanying the author's imprint is consistent with that of the elder Jollain, which was the Rue St. Jacques à la ville de Cologne in Paris; we therefore rule out such dates as 1690 and 1709 for this piece. In addition, the address and imprint here are Latinized, which is not consistent with the output of either Gerard the Elder or the Younger, suggesting that it was a work produced before the Francophone address was chosen as the standard. Thus, we attribute this work to the Elder Gerard rather than the Younger, and estimate a date of 1670. This engraving is rare. We see only three in institutional collections: Bibliothèque Nationale de France (no date given), Yale University (1690), and the Biblioteca Nacional de España (1709, bound in an atlas factice). We are aware of only one other example of this piece to have appeared on the market.

Cartographers

Gérard Jollain (fl. c. 1660 - May 28, 1683) was a French engraver and publisher based in Paris. His birth and early history are not known; his name first appears in association with his work. Despite the obscurity of his beginnings, he came to found Chez Jollain, a long-lived publisher of engravings in Paris. While his family produced many maps and views, they seem to have been mostly separately issued; we do not see a dedicated Jollain atlas or city book. The firm's work was broad, extending to sheet music. (Jollain produced the first French engraving of music for the harpsichord, for example.) Gerard's son, François, was well regarded for his portrait work, in particular. Chez Jollain persisted into the 18th century: Jacques Jollain, François-Gérard Jollain, and Gérard Jollain the younger would continue as late as 1719. Note that the elder Gerard's address was 'Rue St. Jacques a la ville de Cologne' in Paris. The younger Gerard's address was also Paris, but 'Ruë St. Jacques a l'Enfant Jésus.'   Further Details...

Christian Kruik van Adrichem (February 13, 1533 - June 20, 1585), alternatively known as Christianus Crucius Adrichomius was a Dutch theologian active in the second half of the 16th century. Adrichem was born in Delft of a wealthy family - at one point his father, Adriaen Claesz, was mayor of Delft. Adrichem was ordained in 1566. He served as the director of the Convent of St. Barbara in Delft until expelled by the Protestant Reformation. Fleeing the anti-Catholic sentiment of the Reformation, Adrichem reestablished himself in Cologne (Koln) where compiled various religious works including his important historical atlas, the Theatrum Terrae Sanctae et Biblicarum Historiarum. Adrichem's important atlas was published posthumously by his associate Gerardis Brunius in 1590. The work went through numerous editions and served as the foundation of most subsequent maps of the Holy Land well into the 18th century.   Further Details...

Condition

Excellent. Mended separation at bottom centerfold outside printed image, some toning in margin.

References

OCLC 494438683. Not in Laor.