[GLOBE - TERRESTRIAL]. HONDIUS, Jodocus.
[Terrestrial globe].
Antwerp, Joan Baptist Vrients [produced by Jodocus Hondius in Amsterdam], Diameter (21 cm). The globe is assembled from 12 engraved gores, mounted over a hollow wooden sphere, the gores hand-coloured in outline, some areas with full colour infill. The zero meridian set at the Azores, the seas decorated with ships and sea monstors, the continents with several figures. The cartouche enclosing a lenghty adress to the reader by Hondius, pointing out the problems of determining longitude. A decorative cartouche set in North America crowned with the coat of arms of the Albert and Isabella Clara of Austria, the text below this cartouche is signed by Hondius and Vrients dedicating this globe to Albert and Isabella. The globe is mounted in a brass meridian circle set within a fixed brass outer circle, secured at the base into 2 brass plates supported by a brass rod rising from an carved wooden mount of ca. 1800. The walnut mount carved, into four faces each with scrolled cartouche divisions, one face with the carved coat of arms of Albert and Isabella. Overall height 50cm.
€ 295,000
A highly important and extremely rare Hondius terrestrial globe in very good condition, made in Antwerp for the rulers of the Southern Netherlands, Albert VII and his wife Isabella Clara Eugenia. With their coat of arms on the globe and on the pedestal. They were great benefactors for the arts in the Southern Netherlands, purchasing many works by the great and famous Dutch & Flemish artists of their time. They were portrayed in several famous works by Rubens. This globe is another example of a masterpiece created with support by the Royal couple. The present globe is one of only three copies with the very special dedication: "Serenissimis Principibus Alberto et Isabellae ...
The globe was first published in Amsterdam by Hondius (1563-1612) in 1601, with a Latin dedication to the "most famous and skilful commanders .... of the United Provinces of the Netherlands". Since the Republic was at war with the forces that controlled the Southern provinces, Hondius probably thought the dedication and his own association with the Republic could hinder sales of the globe in the Southern Netherlands, hence the new dedication to Albert and Isabella signed by Hondius only as author of the globe and Vrients apparently as publisher. Since Albert and Isabellas coat of arms appear not only on the globe itself, but also on the pedestal, Von Euw & Plotzek sensibly conclude that this is the copy presented to them.
This globe has survived in particularly fine condition, having mounted into the present base presumably by a later generation of the family. The globe slightly cleaned by removing the old surface varnish, some light browning to the paper surface and the light application of new varnish, minor rubbing to the wooden mount. Von Euw & Plotzek, Die Handschriften der Sammlung Ludwig. 1982, vol. 3, pp. 317-318 with illustration (this copy); V.d. Krogt, Globi Neerlandici, HON III, state 1v (pp. 474-475; 2 copies); for Vrients, see also: Denucé, Oud-Nederlandsche kaartmakers in betrekking met Plantijn vol. II, pp. 265-278, esp. p. 268.
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