There was a time when people feared sailing off the edge of the earth. Then came the scientists, defying prevailing beliefs and declaring that the world was round. Telluriums were placed on desks, astronomers gazed into the heavens, discovered celestial bodies, and gave them names. Explorers planted flags in distant lands and set foot where no human had ever trod.
Amidst all this, the cartographers sat in their chambers, trying to bring order to the world.
At Stockholms Auktionsverk Magasin 5, we now have the chance to experience their work. And the more than 100 lots on offer are worth pausing for. For as much as these maps are recorded science and instrumental tools of education, they are also exquisite works of art for the eye.
So take a moment to linger over the hand-colored borderlines between Warkow and Lübeck. Study in detail the map of Finland from around 1700. And let yourself be both charmed and captivated by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Clouet’s delightful world map – one that seems tailor-made for any would-be circumnavigator.
