- Title: Regni Mexicani seu Novae Hispaniae Ludovicianae N. Angliae, Carolinae, Virginia, et Pennsylvaniae...
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Author: Johann Baptist Homann
- Date: 1733
- Condition: See Description
- Inches: 22 1/4 x 18 5/8 [Image]
- Centimeters: 56.51 x 47.30 [Image]
- Product ID: 308615
Elaborately embellished map derived from Guillaume De L’Isle’s seminal 1703 chart of Mexico and Florida, which set a new standard for geographic accuracy and representation in early 18th-century cartography.
Homann’s map depicts New Spain, extending from the Gulf Coast of present-day Texas and Louisiana southward through Mexico and Central America, and into the Caribbean, including Cuba and Hispaniola. It is distinguished by its elaborate cartouche and vignettes, illustrating indigenous peoples and Spanish galleons, while the coloration demarcates colonial administrative regions and highlights early European settlements and indigenous territories.
His work reflects both the geopolitical ambitions and evolving knowledge of the Americas in the age of Enlightenment cartography, making it a crucial scholarly artifact for the study of colonial Latin American history and European mapmaking traditions of the early 18th century.
Condition
Exhibits scattered foxing and slight waviness to the paper; margins have been extended on both the left and right sides. There is a minute area of expert facsimile along neatlines in the lower right corner. Otherwise, the condition is fine throughout.
Background on Creator
Johann Baptist Homann was born on March 20, 1664, in Oberkammlach, Bavaria, Germany. He studied theology as a young man, but eventually converted to Protestantism and became a civil law notary in Nuremberg. In 1702, he founded his own publishing house, which specialized in maps and atlases. Homann quickly became one of the leading cartographers in Europe, and in 1715 he was appointed Imperial Geographer by Emperor Charles VI.
Homann's maps were known for their accuracy and detail. He used the latest cartographic techniques, and he also employed a team of skilled engravers and printers. Homann's maps were widely used by scholars, explorers, and merchants, and they helped to spread knowledge about the world during the 18th century.
Homann died in Nuremberg on July 1, 1724. His publishing house continued to operate under the leadership of his son, Johann Christoph, and his heirs. The Homann publishing house remained in business until 1852.