Oostende West-Indische Spiegel

Title

Oostende West-Indische Spiegel

Description

Title page of the second last navigation in the years 1614,15,16,17 and 1618 in the West Indies in which is shown how George of Speilbergen sailed with some battalions on land and sea through the Magellanic Ocean around the world. The title page was also illustrated in the 1st part 10th book by Johann Theodor de Bry (1618). Joris van Spilbergen (Antwerp 1568 - Bergen op Zoom 1620) was commissioned in 1614 to lead an expedition to the East Indies via the Strait of Magellan for the East India Company (VOC) to reassert Dutch claims to access the Pacific from the east. In it, Le Maire reports on the proof that Tierra del Fuego is an island and the discovery of Le Maire's Strait, an alternative route to the Pacific that is still called that today. The Mirror is an extremely important book for the history of Dutch navigation."

c. 1619

Artist

Geelkercken van (1585-1656)

Nicolaes van Geelkercken (. 1585 - 1656) was a Gelderlander surveyor and cartographer who was in the service of the Gelderlander government in the 17th century. He is known for his numerous map manuscripts, most of which are kept in the Gelders Archives. His sons Isaac van Geelkercken, Jacob van Geelkercken and Arnold van Geelkercken followed him in his profession. Nicolaes' brother Arnoldus van Geelkercken (1570/72-1602) was also a cartographer.

Historical Description

The title page is one of the most important parts of an atlas or book. It appears at the beginning of the book and describes the actual title and the context or subject of the book or atlas. The title page often shows the title of the work, the person or institution responsible for its intellectual content, and the imprint, which includes the name and address of the publisher as well as the date of publication. Further information about the publication is often printed on the back of the title page.The first printed books or incunabula had no title pages: the text simply began on the first page, and the book was often identified by its opening words – the incipit. Maps were usually published in atlases, and atlases were books with titles. Even here, title pages were individual works of art. A publisher emphasized the importance of a book by introducing it with a spectacular entrée.Usually, the images on an atlas title page referred to the subject matter: measuring instruments, mythological, astronomical, religious, scientific, and allegorical references and facts were combined in a composition that represented the pride of scientific and intellectual progress. An atlas title page is often no more than an outstanding artistic and expressive cartouche.