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REFINE
Browse All : Images by Tassin, Christophe Nicolas of Italy
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Author
[Blaeu, Willem Janszoon, 1571-1638, Magini, Giovanni Antonio, 1555-1617, Lastman, Pieter, 1583-1633]
Note
1 map : copperplate engraving on 6 sheets, hand colour. Tablet in the top right corner, inscribed with Blaeu's dedication to Jacob van Dijck (or Dyck), Swedish Ambassador to the Dutch Republic between 1614 and 1620. Seated above this inscription is a personification of Italy, enthroned, like the Madonna, in the middle of a rich assortment of treasure curated by two putti, one half artistic, the other martial. Italy herself rests her left foot on a celestial globe, holds a laurel wreath and sceptre in each hand, and balances four crowns on her lap, including the papal crown and corno ducale, which represent the principal states of Italy. To the left of this group are the arms of the principal rulers of Italy: the Doge of Genoa, Cosimo II de' Medici (Tuscany), Philip III of Spain (Milan and Naples), and Paul V (Papal States). Completing this dense ensemble are four sea and river gods below the dedication, representing, from left to right, the Tuscan sea, the Tiber, Po, and the Gulf of Venice, whose deity is also accompanied by the Lion of St Mark. Sea populated with numerous ships, monstrous fishes and tritons. In the left half, off the coast of Lazio, Neptune travels across the sea in his chariot, while at the far left two tritons carry the arms of Corsica and Sardinia. Imprint in the bottom left corner of the map. Seven scale bars in the bottom right corner, in another richly decorated cartouche surmounted with a small map of the Roman Empire. Surrounding the map are various supplementary descriptions of Italy: six town prospects at the top (Rome, Milan, Naples, Venice, Genoa and Florence), two sets of six costume studies at the sides, and a brief national survey at the bottom, by Giovanni Antonio Magini.
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