Skip to main content

Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Dutch, 1527-1598

Abraham Ortelius is widely recognized as the inventor of the atlas and one of the most prominent geographers in history. He is one of the best known and most frequently collected of all sixteenth-century mapmakers, and today, hand-colored, copperplate-printed Abraham Ortelius maps continue to command avid interest.

Ortelius was the eldest of the three children of an Antwerp merchant. After his father's death when he was ten, he was raised by his uncle Jacob Van Meteren — a financier and printer of early English versions of the Bible. Ortelius entered the Guild of Saint Luke in 1547 to become a map copier and colorist, but his hobbies overshadowed his studies. 

Ortelius was better known as a student of history and a collector of books and old coins than a cartographer — only initially garnering modest praise for his skills at mapmaking. Gleaning what he learned from his uncle, he became a dealer in books and prints. In 1554 he attended the annual Frankfurt Book Fair, where he met the highly respected cartographer Gerardus Mercator.

Ortelius refocused his work in mapmaking after that fateful encounter. He eventually published Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theater of the World) — a comprehensive collection of maps that he bound into a book. It was the first of its kind and is now recognized as the first modern-day atlas. While creating his atlas, Ortelius observed that the coast of America shared geometrical similarities with the shores of Europe and Africa. When he lined up maps of the coastlines of the continents, they matched — much like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. 

Some have argued that the concept of continental drift is at least partly rooted in Ortelius’s 16th-century-era suggestion that the continents had once been joined together as a single mass of land before the Americas were pulled away from Europe and Africa. Much later, in 1912, German meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed in a lecture and an article that the continents had once been locked together based on data he collected. Wegener was widely ridiculed at the time, but the foundation of modern-day science of plate tectonics has its origins in his work.

On May 18, 2008, a Google Doodle celebrated the 300th anniversary of Ortelius’s atlas.

On 1stDibs, find original Abraham Ortelius prints, landscape prints and more.

to
2
1
2
1
1
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
8
986
778
651
614
2
Artist: Abraham Ortelius
Northern Italy: A 16th Century Hand-colored Map by Abraham Ortelius
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a framed 16th century hand-colored copperplate map of northern Italy entitled "Veronae Urbis Territorium a Bernardo Bragnolo Descriptium" by Abraham Ortelius from his atlas "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum", which was the first modern atlas of the world, with the first volume published in 1570. This map was part of a subsequent volume, published in Antwerp in 1584. It was based on an earlier map by Bernardo Brognoli. This beautiful map of northern Italy is focussed on Verona and its environs, including Mantua. Lake Garda and the South Tyrol mountains are prominently depicted. There is a very large striking cartouche in the upper left and a decorative distance scale in the lower right. This striking hand-colored map of northern Italy is presented in a gold-colored wood frame and an olive green-colored mat. It is glazed with UV conservation glass. All mounting materials used are archival. The frame measures 21.5" high by 28" wide by 0.75" deep. There is a central vertical fold, as issued, with slight separation of the lower portion of the fold. There are faint spots in the upper and right margins, but the map is otherwise in very good condition. Abraham Ortelius (also known as Ortels, Orthellius, and Wortels) (1527-1598) was a Dutch cartographer, geographer, and cosmographer. He began his career as a map colorist. In 1547 he entered the Antwerp guild of St Luke as an "illuminator of maps". He had an affinity for business from an early age and most of his journeys before 1560, were for business. He was a dealer in antiques, coins, maps, and books. 
His business income allowed him to acquire an extensive collection of medals, coins, and antiques, as well as a large library of books...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

AMERICAE - Sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Santa Monica, CA
ABRAHAM ORTELIUS (1527 - 1598) AMERICAE SIVE NOVI ORBIS, NOVA DESCRIPTIO, 1587 (1603) (Van Den Broecke 11, Burden 64; Schwartz & Ehrenberg 69) Engraving. A very good, well printed...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Related Items
Foggy Night (the way home or a Stephen King setting)
By Carol Wax
Located in New Orleans, LA
This impression is #22 Carol Wax originally trained to be a classical musician at the Manhattan School of Music but fell in love with printmaking. Soon after she began engraving mez...
Category

2010s American Modern Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving, Mezzotint

India William Hodges 'The East End of the Fort of Mongheer' India Engraving
By William Hodges
Located in Norfolk, GB
Aquatint with soft ground etching from the seminal publication, Selected Views in India, drawn on the Spot, in the Years 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783, and Executed in Aquatint in 1786 -...
Category

Late 18th Century Other Art Style Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Column of Antoninus Pius, Rome Italy. Jacobs Lauro 17th century engraving
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Lauro produced a series of engravings of the ancient monuments of Classical Rome with detailed descriptions in Latin below. 180mm by 240mm (plate mark)...
Category

Early 17th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving, Etching

India William Hodges 'A View of the Ravines at Etana' Early India Engraving
By William Hodges
Located in Norfolk, GB
William Hodges Plate 27 'A View of the Ravines at Etawa' Published 20th May 1787 by J Wells, 22 Charing Cross. Page size, 16.5” x 22.5”, image 11.25 x 18” Aquatint with soft gro...
Category

Early 2000s Other Art Style Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Breaking up of the Agamemnon, No 1
By Sir Francis Seymour Haden, R.A.
Located in Storrs, CT
Etching and drypoint. Schneiderman 133.v/xi. 7 3/4 x 16 3/8 (sheet 9 1/4 x 17 1/2). A rich impression with plate tone printed in black/brown in on antique cream wove paper. Signed in...
Category

Mid-19th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

Remember Belgium Buy Bonds Fourth Liberty Loan original WW1 vintage poster
Located in Spokane, WA
Original vintage poster”. Remember Belgium, Buy Bonds Fourth Liberty Loan. Mounted on acid free archival linen. Ready to frame. Over 100 years old! This original World War 1 poste presents well, but the fold marks have been restored during the linen backing process. The occupation of Belgium was a major propaganda theme of the First World War. There were horror stories of how the civilian population was treated and, true or not, they became fodder for the persuasion machine that was created to stir up the populace for a variety of causes, most having to do with raising money via bond issues. This especially powerful and frightening image, was created by Ellsworth Young...
Category

1910s American Impressionist Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph

Shere Mill Pond
By Sir Francis Seymour Haden, R.A.
Located in Missouri, MO
Shere Mill Pond, No. II (large plate). 1860. Etching and drypoint. Schneiderman 37.v/ix. 7 x 13 1/8 (sheet 10 3/4 x 16 3/8). This state is prior to publication in Études à l'Eau-Forte. Illustrated: Keppel The Golden Age of Engraving; Print Collector's Quarterly 1 (1911): 18; : Guichard, British Etchers, 1850-1940. A rich, brilliant proof with drypoint burr printed on white laid paper. Signed in pencil. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shere Mill Pond, No. II was one of the most highly praised landscape prints of the etching revival. An impression was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1861 under Haden’s pseudonym, H. Dean. Francis Seymour Haden used this anagram of his own name early in his career as an artist, in order to retain his anonymity and preserve his professional reputation as a surgeon. Biography: Sir Francis Seymour Haden (16 September 1818 - 1 June 1910), was an English surgeon, best known as an etcher. He was born in London, his father, Charles Thomas Haden, being a well-known doctor and lover of music. He was educated at Derby School, Christ's Hospital, and University College, London, and also studied at the Sorbonne, Paris, where he took his degree in 1840. He was admitted as a member of the College of Surgeons in London in 1842. In 1843-1844, with his friends Duval, Le Cannes and Colonel Guibout, he travelled in Italy and made his first sketches from nature. Haden attended no art school and had no art teachers, but between 1845 and 1848 he studied portfolios of prints belonging to a second-hand dealer named Love, who had a shop in Bunhill Row, the old Quaker quarter of London. Arranging the prints in chronological order, he studied the works of the great original engravers, Albrecht Dürer, Lucas van Leyden and Rembrandt. These studies, besides influencing his original work, led to his important monograph on the etched work of Rembrandt. By lecture and book, and with the aid of the memorable exhibition at the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 1877, he tried to give a true reflection of Rembrandt's work, giving a nobler idea of the master's mind by taking away from the list of his works many dull and unseemly plates that had long been included in the lists. His reasons were founded upon the results of a study of the master's works in chronological order, and are clearly expressed in his monograph, The Etched Work of Rembrandt critically reconsidered, privately printed in 1877, and in The Etched Work of Rembrandt True and False (1895). Haden's printmaking was invigorated by his much younger brother-in-law, James Whistler, at the Haden home in Sloane Street in 1855. A press was installed there and for a while Haden and Whistler collaborated on a series of etchings of the Thames. The relationship and project did not last. Haden followed the art of original etching with such vigour that he became not only the foremost British exponent of that art but brought about its revival in England. His strenuous efforts and perseverance, aided by the secretarial ability of Sir WR Drake, resulted in the foundation of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers. As president he ruled the society with a strong hand from its first beginnings in 1880. Notwithstanding his study of the old masters of his art, Haden's own plates were very individual, and are particularly noticeable for a fine original treatment of landscape subjects, free and open in line, clear and well divided in mass, and full of a noble and dignified style of his own. Even when working from a picture his personality dominates the plate, as for example in the large plate he etched after J.M.W. Turner's "Calais Pier," which is a classical example of what interpretative work can do in black and white. Of his original plates, more than 250 in number, one of the most notable was the large "Breaking up of the Agamemnon." An early plate, rare and most beautiful, is "Thames Fisherman". "Mytton Hall" is broad in treatment, and a fine rendering of a shady avenue of yew trees leading to an old manor-house in sunlight. "Sub Tegmine" was etched in Greenwich Park in 1859; and "Early Morning--Richmond", full of the poetry and freshness of the hour, was done, according to Haden, actually at sunrise. One of the rarest and most beautiful of his plates is "A By-Road in Tipperary"; "Combe Bottom" is another; and "Shere Mill Pond" (both the small study and the larger plate), "Sunset in Ireland," "Penton Hook," "Grim Spain" and "Evening Fishing, Longparish," are also notable examples of his genius. A catalogue of his works was begun by Sir William Drake and completed by Harrington in 1880. During later years Haden began to practise the sister art...
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Etching, Drypoint

Mainland Greece & Islands: An Original 18th Century Hand-colored Map by Bowen
Located in Alamo, CA
This is an original 18th century hand-colored map entitled "An Accurate Map of the Morea Together with the Neighboring Countries in Greece; also the Islands in the Archipelago and Ae...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Frankfort, Germany: A 16th Century Hand-colored Map by Braun & Hogenberg
By Franz Hogenberg
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of Frankfort, Germany entitled "Francenbergum, vel ut alij Francoburgum Hassiae Opp" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne, Germany in 1595. This is an English translation of an excerpt from the original text in the atlas: "Frankenberg or, according to others, Francoburgum, a town in Hesse. Charlemagne vested the town of Frankenberg with many freedoms and privileges, which it still enjoys to this day, and on account of its valiant and victorious soldiers awarded a signet, upon which there formerly appeared a golden castle with a tower, together with the letter F and a golden crown. Frankenberg, seen here from the northeast, lies on a hill above the River Eder. The hillside is covered with fields neatly separated by bushes and fences. Soaring above the town is the massive Liebfrauenkirche, which was modelled on St Elizabeth's church in Marburg. The New Town was founded in 1335 at the foot of the hill (right) and merged with the Old Town as late as 1556. Frankenberg was founded by Conrad of Thuringia in 1233/34 to prevent the archbishops of Mainz from expanding their sphere of influence...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Lafitte's Blacksmith House (a bar named for a pirate on Bourbon St, New Orleans)
By Frederick Mershimer
Located in New Orleans, LA
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a New Orleans landmark at 941 Bourbon St. Like most New Orleans legends, history of Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a gumbo of tru...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Mezzotint, Aquatint

View of Meissen, Germany: A 16th Century Hand-colored Map by Braun & Hogenberg
By Franz Hogenberg
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of View of View of Meissen, Germany entitled "Misena Hermun Duvorum Urbs" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne, Germany in 1575. The map depicts a side view and bird's-eye view, looking across the Elbe River (labelled Albis Fluvius on the map; White River in Latin) from the northeast. In the foreground are three women in conversation on a hill above the city, along with a man and a woman in conversation by a road, all dressed in contemporary costumes of the upper class. A coat-of-arms is present in each upper corner. A great castle sits atop a hill in the background on the left. Meissen grew up around Albrechtsburg castle, built by Emperor Henry I around AD 929, and was granted a municipal charter at the end of the 12th century. From 1471 onwards, the castle complex was reconstructed as the residence of the Saxon electors on the northeast corner of the Domberg (Cathedral Hill). Meissen cathedral is a Gothic hall church begun c. 1270; in 1413 a bolt of lightning destroyed its west towers, which were replaced only in the 20th century. Meissen lies to the northwest of Dresden, Germany in Saxony. Meissen is famous for its Meissen porcelain and the Albrechtsburg castle The following is an English translation of an excerpt from Braun's description of the city:  "This city is surrounded by very many rivers, to the east flows the Elbe, to the south the Triebisch, to the west are the mountains, to the north the Meisse, after which the city is said to be named. The city is well-situated in its surroundings, the navigable rivers, the mountains and the healthy air. Around the city there is a good land to grow grain, fertile vineyards on the hillsides and without doubt the mountains are not without ore, for one mile away, up the Elbe, is Scharfenberg, where silver and lead ore are mined.." 
  References: Van der Krogt 4, 2684; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Canterbury: An Original 16th C. Framed Hand-colored Map by Braun & Hogenberg
By Franz Hogenberg
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a framed 16th century map and city view of Canterbury, England entitled "Cantuarbury" by Braun & Hogenburg, from their famous landmark atlas of city views 'Civitates Orbis Terrarum' (Atlas of the Cities of the World), which was first published in Cologne, Germany in 1572. The map of Canterbury was first published in 1588. It depicts a detailed birdseye view of the completely walled and fortified city of Canterbury, with its cathedral the most prominent feature. The coat of arms of England, Canterbury, and the Archbishop of Canterbury are included. This beautifully hand-colored map is presented in a gold-colored wood frame with a beaded inner trim and a paprika-colored mat that highlights details in the map. The frame measures 18.75" high by 22.25" wide by 0.875" deep. There is a central vertical fold, as issued. The map is in excellent condition. Braun and Hogenberg's 'The Civitates Orbis Terrarum' was the second atlas of maps ever published and the first atlas of cities and towns of the world. It is one of the most important books published in the 16th century. Most of the maps in the atlas were engraved by Franz Hogenberg and the text, with its descriptions of the history and additional factual information of the cities, was written by a team of writers and edited by Georg Braun. The work contained 546 bird-eye views and map views of cities and towns from all over the world. It gave graphic representation of the main features of the illustrated cities and towns, including the buildings and streets. Although the ordinary buildings are stylized, the principal buildings are reproduced from actual drawings created on location. The principal landmarks and streets can still be recognized today. In addition, the maps often include the heraldic arms of the city, the nature of the surrounding countryside, the important rivers, streams and harbors, even depicting stone bridges, wooden pontoons, flat-bottomed ferries, ships and working boats, wharves and jetties, as well as land-based activities, including horsemen, pedestrians, wagons, coaches, and palanquins. Small vignettes are often included which illustrate the trade, occupations and habits of the local inhabitants, such as agriculture, paper-making and textiles, as well as local forms of punishment, such as gibbets, wheels, floggings etc. Large figures dressed in their local costume are often presented out of proportion in the foreground. The aim of the authors was to give as much information as possible in a pleasing visual form. They succeeded in creating maps that were both informative and decorative works of art. The atlas is a wonderful glimpse of life in medieval Europe. Georg Braun (1541-1622) was German Catholic...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Previously Available Items
Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) - 17th Century Engraving, Map of the Holy Land
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Corsham, GB
An early 17th or late 16th century map showing the land of Canaan with an inset map depicting the wanderings of Abraham, the first patriarch of Judaism. Surrounded by 22 medallions s...
Category

18th Century Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Collection of 110 original maps by Abraham Ortelius - 1584
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Roma, IT
Collection of 110 original etchings by Abraham Ortelius, 1584, with coeval hand watercoloring. From the series "Theatrum Orbis Terrarus", Antwerp created by Abraham Ortelius and Cri...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Etching

Gades Map (Map of Cadiz) - Original Etching by Abraham Ortelius - 1584
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Roma, IT
Gades Map (Map of Cadiz) is an original Artwork realized in 1584 by Abraham Ortelius (also Ortels, Orthellius, Wortels; Antwerp, 4 or 14 April 1527 – Antwerp, 28 June 1598). Origina...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Etching

Aegypti Map - Original Etching by Abraham Ortelius - 1584
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Roma, IT
Aegypti Map (Map of Egypt) is an original Artwork realized in 1584 by Abraham Ortelius (also Ortels, Orthellius, Wortels; Antwerp, 4 or 14 April 1527 – Antwerp, 28 June 1598). Origi...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Watercolor, Etching

HOLY LAND Original Engraved Map
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Santa Monica, CA
ABRAHAM ORTELIUS (1527 – 1598) ABRAHAMI PATRIAR:CHAE PEREGRINATIO, ET VITA. - 1608-12 Abrahamo Ortelio Antverpiano auctore (Van den Broecke 183 1608/1612Iv) ...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

TYPUS ORBIS TERRARUM
By Abraham Ortelius
Located in Santa Monica, CA
ABRAHAM ORTELIUS (1527 – 1598) TYPUS ORBIS TERRARUM 1570-5 (Shirley 122: Van Den Beck 1.2) First plate of 3 as published in 1575 - showing repairs to the crac...
Category

16th Century Old Masters Abraham Ortelius Prints and Multiples

Materials

Engraving

Abraham Ortelius prints and multiples for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abraham Ortelius prints and multiples available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Abraham Ortelius in engraving and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 18th century and earlier and is mostly associated with the Old Masters style. Not every interior allows for large Abraham Ortelius prints and multiples, so small editions measuring 20 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Cornelis Bega, Adriaen van Ostade, and Jacobus Houbraken. Abraham Ortelius prints and multiples prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,580 and tops out at $4,500, while the average work can sell for $3,040.

Recently Viewed

View All