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Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia Regna et Status (Frontispiece)
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The Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia, Regna et Status exactis Tabulis Geographice demonstrans is a striking and highly decorative title page engraved by Michael Rössler around 1720 in Nuremberg. This elaborate copperplate frontispiece was created for Johann Baptist Homann’s famed atlas series and is considered one of the most artistic and symbolic examples of 18th-century cartographic publishing. At the center of the composition are the mythological figures Atlas and Hercules, supporting a celestial sphere atop a terrestrial globe prominently displaying Europe and Africa. Surrounding them are an ensemble of allegorical and classical figures—including Neptune, Mercury, Cybele, Aeolus, and Triton—each representing themes such as maritime power, commerce, civilization, and natural forces. These symbolic characters, along with various animals and iconographic elements, underscore the global and cultural scope of Homann’s geographic work. The engraved cartouche at the bottom contains the Latin title of the atlas and credits Homann’s publishing house, further emphasizing the work’s scholarly and imperial significance.
The index 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.
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.
Medium: Copper Engraving
Map Maker: Johann Baptist Homann
Coloring: Original Hand Color
Year: ca. 1720
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