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Regni Poloniae Magnique Ducatus Lithuaniae (Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia)
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This map of Poland and Lithuania, appeared in Homann’s Atlas Scholasticus. The title page of the atlas is labeled “Atlas Minor XXVI. Selectarum Tabularum Geographicum Homanni Secundum Methodum Huberni aliorumque recentorium geographorum dispositus et recognitus” – which translates as a selection of 26 geographic maps by Homann, arranged and revised according to the method of Hübner and other recent geographers. This scarce atlas, referred to as a Kleiner (meaning small/minor) atlas, included 26 selected maps by Homann, guided by Johann Hubner. This atlas also included a copper engraved, hand-colored title page as frontispiece from the Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia by M. Rössler. Based on research, this atlas was most likely compiled between 1720 – 1737.
This map, translated “The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania,” is an early 18th-century map that presents the vast territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest and most influential states in Europe at the time. The map highlights the political and geographic reach of the union, extending from the Baltic Sea southward into present-day Ukraine and eastward toward Russia. Major regions, including Poland, Lithuania, Prussia, Livonia, and parts of Belarus and Ukraine, are carefully delineated with finely engraved boundaries, rivers, and cities. Decorative cartouches, often featuring the coats of arms of Poland and Lithuania alongside allegorical figures, emphasize the grandeur of the Commonwealth and its role as a central European power. Homann’s engraving not only served as a practical tool for diplomats, merchants, and scholars but also reflected contemporary European interest in the shifting balance of power in Eastern Europe. Today, the map is valued both as a historical artifact documenting a vanished political entity and as a finely crafted work of Baroque cartography.
Johann Baptist Homann (1663-1724) was a mapmaker who founded the famous Homann publishing company. He lived his entire life in Bavaria, particularly in Nuremberg. Initially, Johann trained to become a priest before converting to Protestantism and working as a notary. In 1702, Johann founded a publishing house that specialized in engravings. The firm flourished, becoming the leading map publisher in Germany and an important entity in the European map market. In 1715, Johann was named Imperial Geographer to the Holy Roman Empire by Charles VI and made a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Most importantly for his business, his reputation and contacts gained him imperial printing privileges which protected his publications and recommended him to customers. That privilege was noted on his maps as “Cum Priviligio.” Johann is best known for this Grosser Atlas ueber die ganze Welt, or the Grand Atlas of the World, published in 1716. After Johann died in 1724, the map plates and management of the company passed to his son, Johann Christoph (1703-1730). In Johann Christoph’s will, he stipulated that the company would be inherited by his two head managers – and that it would publish only under the name “Homann Heirs.” The firm continued in business until 1848.
Condition: Very Good - age toning down center
Medium: Copper Engraving
Map Maker: Johann Baptist Homann
Coloring: Original Hand Color
Year: ca. 1720
In stock
