Famous Dutch mapmaker Henricus Hondius transformed cartography into a rich, intricate art form with his “Antique Map Geographica, c. 1630.” Hondius (1597- 1651) initially assisted his father Joducus, who innovated the reproduction of spherical objects on two-dimensional surfaces. A remarkable example of Dutch cartography’s Golden Age, this map contains magnificent images of Julius Caesar, Claudius Ptolemy, Joducus Hondius, Gerard Mercator, the four elements and the goddess Europa. Ahead of its time, this map depicts California as an island, and includes an early representation of Australia’s northern coastline.
Famous Dutch cartographer Henricus Hondius (1597 – 1651) produced maps that were both geographically factual and artistically exquisite. Hondius initially assisted his father Joducus, who pioneered the reproduction of spherical objects on two-dimensional surfaces. The younger Hondius later opened his own firm, creating maps that depicting only explored areas, while other cartographers illustrated unseen regions based on their imaginations. Devising double-hemisphere maps, Hondius set a precedent for cartography in the 17th and 18th centuries.