Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Michael Drayton
Michael Drayton 1622 Cambridgeshire Map for Poly-Olbion original antique vintage

1622

About the Item

Visit our other items to see a large selection of views of Oxford and Cambridge. Michael Drayton (1563-1631) Map of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely (1622) engraved by William Hole for Drayton’s Poly Olbion London (1622) 24 x 31 cm (9 x 12 in). The Romantic side of Elizabethan map making Drayton commenced working on his epic poem, Poly Olbion, in 1598. A topographical poem or book of songs describing England and Wales, it was his life’s work and was published in 1612 with 18 songs and maps, being published in 1622 as an enlarged edition with 30 songs and maps. It consisted of fifteen thousand lines of verse, divided into the 30 songs. Cambridgeshire was included in the second and enlarged edition. It has long been held that Drayton probably attended the University of Oxford, on account of allusions within his poetry. We know his circle included Ben Jonson, and probably Shakespeare too. In 1593 he produced the first of his historical poems, the Legend of Piers Gaveston. Poly Olbion was his enormous attempt to record all places of topographical interest in the country. Places and rivers are included anthropomorphically; Cambridge a young woman with flowing breasts, a castle on her head and carrying the sun and a cup; Ely has a cathedral on his head. Drayton recorded a mixture of the topographical scientific and references to historic myths – druids and King Arthur amongst others. Each river has its own nymph, the rivers being the main emphasis of the maps which otherwise show few geographical features. William Hole (?-1624) was probably engaged to produce the engraved maps. Little is known of Hole, it is suggested that he had a French training as an engraver. As well as engraving music by Bull, Gibbons and Byrd, he made maps; those of Poly Olbion are surely the most extraordinary, an expression of whimsy and romance from the Elizabethan age.
  • Creator:
    Michael Drayton (1563 - 1631)
  • Creation Year:
    1622
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 9.45 in (24 cm)Width: 12.21 in (31 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
    1620-1629
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU79534393152
More From This SellerView All
  • 'Zero' Hans Schleger Grow Your Own Food Surreal Original Vintage Poster
    By Hans Schleger Zero
    Located in London, GB
    To see our other original vintage World War Two public information posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the poster you want. 'Zero' Hans Schleger (1898-1976) Grow Your Own Food Lithographic poster c. 1940 Printed by Fosh & Kosh Limited for HMSO 76x51cm A copy of this poster is in the collection of the Imperial War Museum. Provenance: the estate of the artist. In this poster the public are encouraged to Dig For Victory...
    Category

    1940s Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Safety Comes in Cans original vintage poster Health - British Safety Council
    Located in London, GB
    To see our other original vintage public information posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you ca...
    Category

    Late 20th Century Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Robert Morden Map of Nottingham Shire 18th century Nottinghamshire
    By Robert Morden
    Located in London, GB
    Robert Morden (1650-1703) Nottingham Shire (or Nottinghamshire) Engraving with recent hand colouring 34x42cm First published in 1695 for Camden's Britannica (1695-1772) and reprinte...
    Category

    18th Century Realist More Prints

    Materials

    Engraving

  • 1944 UK poster: Great Britain's War Effort (Taxation) - World War II propaganda
    Located in London, GB
    To see our other original vintage propaganda posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot fin...
    Category

    1940s Modern More Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • Pat Keely: Join the Royal Navy recruitment poster 1939 World War 2 Fleet Air Arm
    By Pat Keely
    Located in London, GB
    Pat Keely (d. 1970) The Royal Navy 75x51cm Original lithographic poster 1939 Printed for HMSO by Vincent Brooks, Day & Son Ltd, London If your age is f...
    Category

    1930s Modern More Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

  • 1943 Royal Air Force DH Mosquito aeroplane recognition poster pub. US Navy
    Located in London, GB
    To see our other original vintage propaganda posters, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot fin...
    Category

    1940s Modern More Prints

    Materials

    Lithograph

You May Also Like
  • Figure Rouge avec Portrait de Quevedo
    By Salvador Dalí­
    Located in San Francisco, CA
    This artwork titled "Figure Rouge avec Portrait de Quevedo" from the suite, Visions De Quevedo, 1975. is an original engraving with pochoir hand coloring on Richard de Bas paper, by ...
    Category

    1970s Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Engraving

  • Characters III - Light
    By Guntars Sietins
    Located in Palm Springs, CA
    Signed and numbered. The illusions and reflections in Sietens prints often bring M.C. Escher to mind, but his prints have a distinctive feel all their own. Reflection of real world ...
    Category

    Early 2000s Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Mezzotint

  • Characters I - Levitation
    By Guntars Sietins
    Located in Palm Springs, CA
    Signed, titled and numbered, edition of 35. The illusions and reflections in Sietens prints often bring M.C. Escher to mind, but his prints have a distinctive feel all their own. Re...
    Category

    Early 2000s Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Mezzotint

  • Levitation XVII - Infinity
    By Guntars Sietins
    Located in Palm Springs, CA
    The illusions and reflections in Sietens prints often bring M.C. Escher to mind, but his prints have a distinctive feel all their own. Elements in his prints seem to defy gravity. Si...
    Category

    Early 2000s Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Mezzotint, Aquatint

  • Characters V - Light
    By Guntars Sietins
    Located in Palm Springs, CA
    The reflection of reality on a metallic sphere is one of Sietins' most frequently used motifs. He is fascinated by the possibility of opening an extra dimension in the dialogue ...
    Category

    Early 2000s Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Mezzotint, Aquatint

  • Dali Martien Muni d'un Double Microscope... - Etching attr. to S. Dalì - 1974
    By Salvador Dalí­
    Located in Roma, IT
    Dali Martien Muni d'un Double Microscope holo-électronique is an original contemporary artwork realized in 1974. Drypoint etching and colored lithograph on Arches wove paper. Numbe...
    Category

    1970s Surrealist More Prints

    Materials

    Drypoint, Etching, Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All