HELVETIA

£250

Attractive map of Switzerland, with north at bottom of map.

The map is based on the 1538 map of the Swiss cartographer Aegidicus Tschudi., also used by Ortelius, before Quad included it in his work. Matthaus Quad was a German cartographer based in Cologne, which, at the time was the centre for German cartography. This map is from his Fascilus Geographicus. It was printed by Johannes Bussemacher.

With a cartouche and a mileage scale. Shows Switzerland with the Lake Constance and the Lake Geneva.

Good hand colour

Very good condition

code : M5628

Cartographer : QUAD Matthias

Date : 1593c Cologne

Size : 22.5*30.5 cms sheet 26*35 cms

availability : Available

Price : £250

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Matthias Quad (1557-1613) was a geographer, humanist and engraver who studied in Heidelberg and later worked from both Cologne and Heidelberg. Quad was an important figure in Cologne, publishing under a number of pseudonyms as well as his own name, during this early period and would certainly have come under the influence of Frans Hogenberg who engraved the maps for Ortelius' "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" and who, with Georg Braun, involved Quad in engraving some of the maps in their great town book, the "Civitates Orbis Terrarum". Quad helped to establish Cologne as the centre of German map production and consequently established the city's important role in terms of European cartography at this time.