Tabula Magellanica, Qua Tierrae del Fuego, Cum celeberrimis fretis a F. Magellano et I. Le Maire detectis, Novissima et accuratissima descriptio exhibetur.
Creator: Jansson, Jan, 1588-1664Dedicatee: Raet, Gualthero dePublisher: Jansson, Jan, 1588-1664Date/Date Range Produced: 1652
Language: LatinRegion Depicted: ArgentinaChileStrait of MagellanMap Type: GeographicalDimensions: 41 x 53 cm
Printing Process: EngravingMaterial Type: PaperHistorical Context: This map and Tabula Magellanica qua Tierrae del Fuego, Cum celeberrimis fretis a F. Magellano et I. Le Maire, 1671, by John Ogilby, illustrate some of the competitive practices of seventeenth-century mapmakers. Copying of maps was common, since copyright protection was limited within countries and virtually nonexistent across national borders. In this case, the similarity is due to a complex pattern of plagiarism: the Ogilby map was printed from a plate by Arnoldus Montanus, who copied from the Jansson map, which itself was largely taken from a map of Willem Blaeu. The ornate frames of the explanatory panels at the top center of both maps are of identical design; the checkerboard-style mileage scales in the lower left differ only in their decorative borders. The title panels or "cartouches" (lower right) are entirely different in design, but contain virtually identical wording, copied from Blaeu. In spite of the fact that both maps are outdated, their titles describe them as "novissima et accuratissima" (newest and most accurate). The land vignettes are similar, but on the Jansson map are larger and contain more detailed views of native activities. The seas display fewer ships and more ornamental lettering of the classic Dutch "swash" variety, characterized by flowing italic script with elegant flourishes. Allegorical figures surrounding the title and mileage-scale panels on the two maps are different, reflecting a touch of originality or, more likely, copying from different sources.
LC Call Number: G5332.M33 J3 1658
OCLC: 124069241
Accession Number: SM-1658-3
Donor: SmithSubjects: AnimalsBirdsCartouches, Ornamental (Decorative arts)Cartouches, Ornamental (Decorative arts)Cherubs (Art)ChildrenClothing and dressDevices (Heraldry)DucksHeaddressesHeraldryHuntingIndigenous peopleIslandsJansson, Jan, 1588-1664Magellan, Strait of (Chile and Argentina)Maps--Early works to 1800PenguinsSailing shipsShellsTierra del Fuego (Argentina and Chile)
