1875 Johann Ferdinand Rubens Map of European Wine Production

Promoting German Wine Production.

This is an attractive and scarce 1875 Johann Ferdinand Rubens map of Europe, noting wine production regions, specifically those of Germany. The map is framed with a beautiful chromolithograph grapevine border, with allegorical medallions on a classical theme.

A Closer Look

The map encompasses continental Europe extending to the Black Sea and Russia; the Mediterranean Sea is presented from Gibraltar to just beyond Cyprus, including the coast of North Africa. Primary cities are named, but most named cities are those of Spain, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy, focusing on those noted for wine production. An inset map at the upper left details the Rhineland between Oppenheim and Oberwesel, highlighting Mainz and Bingen.

The Lush Border

While the map itself is a Spartan work, its color lithograph border is beautifully executed and decorative. It is composed of intertwining grapevines, with delicately colored leaves and bunches of grapes. To the left and right, putti swing amongst the vines. at the top center, the god of Wine - Bacchus - sits among vines as a putto presents him with a bunch. At the bottom center, Mercury - god of Commerce, in this manifestation - sits upon barrels of wine waiting at dock with ships in the background. The map dwells less on the drinking of wine and more on selling it abroad.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Generally, a chromolithograph begins with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors are layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color can be blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled by the German agriculturalist Johann Ferdinand Rubens and was published in Hannover by Cohen and Risch. This firm published a handful of Rubens' books on wine and winemaking, but while it appears likely that this map was produced to accompany one of these, we see no examples of a book in institutional collections that included this work. The separate map appears in only four institutional collections.

Cartographer

Johann Ferdinand Rubens (December 30, 1804 - May 7, 1882) was a German agriculturalist who authored a handful of books on wine and winemaking published in Germany by Cohen and Risch in the mid-1870s. He married Henrietta Broch (1809 - May 17, 1853) on December 24, 1833, with whom he had two children.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Faint foxing, else an attractive example with original hand color.

References

OCLC 557342902.