Alexandri Magni Expeditio

1613

Original hand-coloured copper engraving on paper

Without mount: 6.25 x 7.5 in (16 x 19 cm)
With mount: 12.5 x 14 in (32 x 35.5 cm)

An arresting example of Hondius' map of Alexander the Great's expedition in original hand-coloured copper engraving.

It's a decorative miniature map of the Middle East, depicting the conquests of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, stretching from Greece through northern India. Originally engraved by Jodocus Hondius for the Mercator-Hondius Atlas Minor. The present map is the 1613 version of the Atlas Minor by Hondius, published by Janssonius (Jansson) on page 653.

The map depicts the ancient kingdoms and regions of Greece, Asia Minor, Libya, Egypt, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Bactria and Sogdiana, Parthia, Arachosia, Gadrosia, and the Valley of the Indus River, ornamented in beautiful hand colour. Principal cities are picked out in red, and the map is heavily annotated with references from the classical source tradition for Alexander's expeditions. The terminus of Alexander's expedition, on the banks of the Indus, is marked by a pair of altars near the source of the Ganges. The map is further embellished by a pair of strap-work cartouches. One encloses the title, while the larger of the two in the bottom left corner shows an inset map of the Aegean Sea and the coast of Asia Minor. At bottom centre, an Alexandrian coin shows the Conqueror's helmeted head on the recto and a winged Nike holding an orb and sceptre on the verso.

Jodocus Hondius
Joost de Hondt, sometimes known as Jodocus Hondius the Elder (1563–1612), was a well-known cartographer and engraver in his day. His contributions significantly contributed to Amsterdam's rise to prominence as the 17th-century hub for map publishing. The young Jodocus was raised in Ghent but was born in Wakken. He worked as an engraver and also made globes and instruments.

In 1584, Hondius left Flanders to escape religious persecution in London. He worked there for a number of people, including Edward Wright and Richard Hakluyt. In 1592, Wright charted the coastlines while Hondius etched the globe gores for Emery Molyneux's pair of globes. Because of his engraving and nautical painting abilities, he was able to connect with a select group of people who were interested in and produced geographic information. These people included engravers like Theodor De Bry and Augustine Ryther, as well as navigators Drake, Thomas Cavendish, and Walter Raleigh. Through this network, Hondius was able to obtain descriptions and charts from manuscripts, which he then translated into engraved maps.

Hondius spent the remainder of his life in Amsterdam after his return there in 1593. Hondius collaborated with publisher Cornelis Claesz while retaining his connections throughout Europe and England. For instance, Hondius engraved the plates for John Speed's Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine between 1605 and 1610.

Gerard Mercator
Originally a philosophy student, Gerard Mercator (1512–1594) became a highly proficient manufacturer of scientific instruments and one of the most well-known cosmographers and geographers of the 16th century. The method he invented, known as Mercator Projection, is primarily responsible for allowing navigators to plot a flat map with a consistent compass bearing. Although creating globes was his primary job at the time, he produced his first maps in 1537 (of Palestine) and 1538 (of the entire world). Later, he relocated to Duisburg, Germany, where he created his remarkable wall maps of Britain and Europe. His global map, which is based on Mercator's projection, was published in 1569 and is considered a masterpiece. It has 21 sheets. His son Rumold finished his Atlas, sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi, which was published in 1595. Gerard Jr. released the atlas' plates after Rumold passed away in 1599. Jodocus Hondius purchased the printing material at auction after he passed away in 1604, and it was reprinted well into the seventeenth century.

Reprinting Mercator's Atlas proved to be one of Hondius' most lucrative business endeavours. After obtaining the Mercator plates, he published the atlas under Mercator's name and added 36 maps, many of which he had himself engraved. This helped to cement Mercator's legacy after his death. Hondius, who was only 48 years old when he passed away in 1612, left his business to his son of the same name and another son, Henricus, who also took over the Mercator Atlas reissue. Johannes Janssonius, the son-in-law of Hondius the Elder, was also identified as a co-publisher of the atlas after 1633.

This work will be shipped unframed

NON-EXPORTABLE

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition of each lot.