| Method | Copper engraved |
| Artist | Porro, Girolamo after Porcacchi, Tommaso |
| Published | Padua, Lasor à Varea, 1713 |
| Dimensions | Damasco 88 x 134 mm, Danimarca 102 x 142 mm |
| Notes |
A pair of engravings, one on each side of the sheet, showing a plan of the city of Damascus and a map of the Kingdom of Denmark, originally engraved by Girolamo Porro for Porcacchi's 'Isole del Mondo' in 1572, but reused here for Lasor à Varea's 'Universus Terrarum Orbis Scriptorum Calamo Delineatus' of 1713. The view of Damascus is a close, though poorly executed, reduced copy of the Braun and Hogenberg plan of the city, even down to the inclusion of a pair of figures in Syrian dress in the foreground. The map of Denmark is stronger, though the small city icons of the original have either worn or been deliberately erased from this impression. Above and below each plate, lists of text in three columns record the names of geographic locations, nations, regions, races, and countries. Girolamo Porro (c. 1520-1604) was an Italian engraver active in Venice and his native Padua, working predominantly as a map engraver for Tommaso Porcacchi, and Girolamo Ruscelli. Tommaso Porcacchi (1530-1585) was an Italian humanist, geographer, translator, and author, chiefly remembered for his atlas, L'isole più famose del mondo descritte da Thomaso Porcacchi da Castiglione arretino e intagliate da Girolamo Porro padouano con l'aggiunta di molte isole. As a young man, he studied in Florence under the patronage of Duke Cosimo I. In 1559, he moved to Venice, translating works from Latin and Greek into Italian, on behalf of publishers including Ludovico Domenichi and Giolito de Ferrari. His treatise on the islands of the world included some of the very earliest maps and plans of the new world, including North America, Mexico, and Temistitan, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Alphonse Lasor à Varea was the pseudonym of the Italian monastic author, translator, and geographer, Raphael Savanarola (c.1680-1748). His best known work was a large dictionary of geographical names, the Universus Terrarum Orbis Scriptorum Calamo Delineatus, which was augmented by numerous miniature maps and views, the majority of which were recycled from earlier publications. Condition: Weak impressions, particularly the 'Damasco,' as per publication. Latin text above and below plates. Printer's crease across 'Danimarca' map. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £65.00 |
| Stock ID | 45497 |