1710 Title Page, J. B. Homann's Atlas Novus

Magnificent Allegorical Title Page.

This is a beautiful example of the allegorical title page of Johann Baptist Homann's 1707 Atlas Novus, engraved by Amsterdam artist Caspar Luyken. Its classical themes connect Homann's modern cartography to the classical themes embraced by the map publishers of the previous century.

A Tour of the Classics

There is a lot in the engraving to unpack! The atlas's title cartouche provides a foundation at the bottom, but the page is filled with imagery. Central to the image, in the middle ground, is the globe. A portion of the northern hemisphere is in view, displaying Europe and northern Africa; the western hemisphere faces away from the viewer, and the western part of Asia falls in shadow. Standing atop the globe, suspending the heavens above them, is the titan, Atlas, accompanied by the hero Hercules. The two visually divide the daytime sky from the night. On the left, a radiant sun beams on the wings of birds in flight; to the right, the moon balefully gleams above shadowy owls, bats, and less identifiable flying monsters. Below these, to the right of the globe, a trio of venti puff their winds over the Earth. In the foreground, the gods hold sway. Neptune, god of the sea, strikes a stern pose, trident in hand. His wife, Salacia, hovers behind him, holding aloft a sailing ship as a symbol of her protection over sailors. Cast in shadow at the sea-god's feet is a fearful lesser river-god, pouring out his river's water from a jug. To the right of these, Mercury and an Italia Turrita chat amicably: the god of commerce and icon of the Roman Empire, respectively. The castle-crowned Italia shares much of the iconography of Ceres, goddess of the harvest, with her abundance of grain and fruit piled about her. At Mercury's feet, a cock crows (as herald of the dawn, the rooster is associated with the herald of the gods.)

Publication History and Census

This plate was engraved by Casper Luyken to serve as the title page of Homann's 1707 Neuer Atlas, or Atlas Novus as it is Latinized here. It remained the title page for the 1710 edition of the atlas; it would remain so, with occasional changes to the plate, well into the 18th century.

Cartographers

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. Nonetheless, he converted to Protestantism in 1687, when he was 23. It is not clear where he mastered engraving, but we believe it may have been in Amsterdam. Homann's earliest work we have identified is about 1689, and already exhibits a high degree of mastery. Around 1691, Homann moved to Nuremberg and registered as a notary. By this time, he was already making maps, and very good ones at that. He produced a map of the environs of Nürnberg in 1691/92, which suggests he was already a master engraver. Around 1693, Homann briefly relocated to Vienna, where he lived and studied printing and copper plate engraving until 1695. Until 1702, he worked in Nuremberg in the map trade under Jacob von Sandrart (1630 - 1708) and then David Funck (1642 - 1709). 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. Despite copious output, Homann did not release his first major atlas until the 33-map Neuer Atlas of 1707, followed by a 60-map edition of 1710. 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. Homann was also skilled at cultivated learned relationships throughout Europe, for example, in 1723, documents from the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences identify him as an 'Agent of Muscovy', indicating an official connection to the cartographic circles in Russia. Following Homann's death in 1724, the firm's map plates and 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).   Further Details...

Caspar Luyken (December 18, 1672 - October 4, 1708) was a Dutch engraver. He was born in Amsterdam, the son of another well-known engraver, Jan Luyken (April 16, 1649 - April 5, 1712), under whom he studied. During his tenure in Amsterdam, he worked extensively with his father. In 1699, he relocated to Nuremberg to work with Christoph Weigel the Elder (1654 - 1725). He engraved at least one map for Johann Baptist Homann, as well as the title page for Homann's 1707 Atlas Novus.   Further Details...

Source

Homann, J. B., Neuer Atlas bestehend in einig curieusen Astronomischen Kuppren und vielen auserlesenen accuratensten Land-Charten über die Gantze Welt, (Nuremberg: Homann) 1710.    

Homann's Neuer Atlas bestehend in einig curieusen Astronomischen Kuppren und vielen auserlesenen accuratensten Land-Charten über die Gantze Welt was first publihsed in 1707 with 33 maps. A second edition followed in 1710 with 60 maps. Subsequent editions followed until about 1730. The title page notes proudly that the atlas features measurements based on the 'Copernican principle of the moving sky', a truly state-of-the-art innovation for the period. Regardless of editions, collations of the atlas are inconsistent, with some examples having less, while others have more maps - a consequence of the fact that the map sheets were delivered loose, to be bound at the buyer's discretion, and so some buyers chose to omit maps they did not consider relevant, or add others they did. Between editions, the constituent maps, particularly of European regions, were regularly updated to reflect the most recent political events. The atlas continued to be published by Homann's son, J. C. Homann (1703 - 1730), and then by Homann Heirs. Most examples also feature a fine allegorical frontispiece with the title Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia, regna et Status, which was used for multiple Homann atlases, including the Neuer Atlas and the Atlas Minor.

Condition

Very good. Old reinforcement to bottom right corner not impacting printed image. Superb original color.