Mappa Geographiae Naturalis sive Tabella Synoptica uno conspectu..

Title

Mappa Geographiae Naturalis sive Tabella Synoptica uno conspectu..

Description

This fascinating imaginary map was designed to illustrate cartographic and geographical terms, which are given in both German and Latin. An extensive legend at bottom right identifies the various symbols used on the map in both languages. The island above the legend is also identified in French and Italian. The sheet is handsomely embellished with an allegorical title cartouche featuring an angel using measuring dividers on a globe, Cybele, goddess of towns, and a river god.

ca. 1740

Artist

Seutter (1678-1757)

Matthias Seutter (1678- 1757) Augsburg was the son of a goldsmith in Augsburg. In 1697, Seutter began his studies in Nuremberg and subsequently worked in the publishing house of Jeremias Wolff in Augsburg. In 1710, he established his own publishing house and print shop. The Seutter publishing house produced a great number of maps, atlases, and globes. However, very few original maps were printed there, as Augsburg at that time had no university and no connection to the fields of mathematics or the natural sciences. Seutter therefore copied the work of other cartographers, making his own engravings based on their models. Over 500 maps were produced in his studio. Seutter's most well-known works are the 1725 "Geographical Atlas or an Accurate Depiction of the Whole World" ("Atlas Geographicus oder Accurate Vorstellung der ganzen Welt") with 46 maps, the 1734 "Large Atlas" ("Grosser Atlas") with 131 maps, and the 1744 pocket atlas "Small Atlas" ("Atlas minor") with 64 maps. Matthäus Seutter died in 1757. Seutter's son Albrecht Karl, his son-in-law Conrad Tobias Lotter, and his business partner Johann Michael Probst ran the printing business for five more years.