Sign up to receive email notices of recent acquisitions.
Insularum Maltæ et Gozæ, quæ sunt Equitum S. Johannes Hierosolimitani Ordinis Melit. Sedes Principalis. Delineatio Geographica. exhibita a Ioh Baptista Homann SAC Caes Maj Geographo, Norimbergae.
Nuremberg, ca. 1716. Hand-colored engraving, 18.25” x 21.75”. CONDITION: Good, trimmed to neat line. A marvelously decorative map of Malta, Gozo and Comino, with two elaborate cartouches, an inset map of the fortifications of Malta’s capital-city, Valletta, and a view of the city. First published in Homann’s Großer Atlas über die ganze Welt (1716), this map shows the principle land forms comprising the present-day Republic of Malta, with pink highlights indicating the cities and fortifications of Valletta, Borgo (present-day Floriana), the Red Tower in Mellie a, and significant forts on Gozo and Comino. The representation of Malta indicates the importance of the capital city of Valletta as a fortified port city, with the Castle of St. Elmo identified as a site of particular interest. The inset map of Valletta shows a city replete with garrison buildings and naval passages, emphasizing the strategic importance of the city to the then-governing Knights Hospitaller. The eastward-facing panoramic view of Valletta accentuates its impressive fortification as well as the the naval activity of the Knights Hospitaller. Along the borders of the inset map and view is an ornate portrayal of a Knight Hospitaller pointing towards Malta, together with an angel blowing a trumpet over the Hospitaller coat of arms. The elaborate cartouche, at the top right, consists of a lively cast of putti, two of whom hold up Jesus on the Cross, while St. John, the founder of the Knights Hospitaller, kneels in worship—the scene effectively consecrating this beautiful cartographic work. Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724) was a self-taught copper engraver from the town of Oberkammlach in the Duchy of Swabia (present-day southwestern Germany). Initially intending to become a Jesuit, Homann converted to Protestantism in 1687 and became a notary instead. Soon after arriving in Nuremberg, he founded a cartographic establishment in 1702 and by 1707 began publishing his own atlases. In 1715 he became the chief geographer of the Holy Roman Emperor and joined the Prussian Royal Academy of Sciences. Homann was a recipient of an imperial “Privilege,” an early form of copyright granted by the Holy Roman Emperor to a select few. His work remains highly regarded for its mixture of ornamentation and cartographic accuracy. He is best remembered for his Großer Atlas über die ganze Welt, which, alongside the present map of Malta, includes cartographic views of other major European nations and cities. REFERENCES: Tooley 361; “The Knights of Malta (1530–1798)” at Malta History online.
Item #3410
Price: $1,500.00
Add to Wish List