The Effect of Colour
HB4/5.3.4(1): Theatrum orbis terrarum by Ortelius, 1612
The Theatrum orbis terrarum by Ortelius was one of the first world atlases, originally published in
Antwerp in 1570 and made possible only by the medium of printing. Maps were scarce before
printing’s invention, and could usually only be found as illustrations in books; this all changed in
the sixteenth century when individual maps and then atlases began to be produced at a high rate
(Worms, 2002). As maps are almost exclusively image-based, and atlases were often printed in
Latin, they were easily traded internationally (Worms, 2002). This created strong competition
between publishing houses.
One such publishing house was owned by John Norton and his apprentice John Bill in London,
who specialised in the trade of maps and atlases and, particularly, those of Ortelius. They produced many luxury editions of Ortelius’ maps and atlas over the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, when a book of such scale was ‘the most expensive book ever produced’ (Worms, 2002, p.235). England was slow to establish strong printing presses, especially those that could produce such technically challenging books. So, for most of the sixteenth century, English publishing houses relied on European printers, who then imported their books to England to be sold (Alexander, 1999). That was likely the case for this copy, which was printed in Antwerp at the Plantin Press; the 1603 edition, also printed at Antwerp, was printed by Robert Bruney on behalf of Norton and Bill.
Of course, with printing came the so-called “blackening of the page”, where hand-coloured illustrations were often neglected in favour of speedy mass-production. This atlas is a perfect example of that, as we have another, hand-coloured edition for comparison in the next case. It is here in the absence of colour that we can begin to appreciate the role of colour in books and manuscripts to enliven the content of the image. Without colour, one’s eye becomes lost in the details of the map, making it incredibly difficult to read. When compared to the 1603 edition, you can see how the colour helps the viewer to clearly identify various elements, and to distinguish between geography and cartographic information.
It is understandable why, for such a complicated book to print, it has been left uncoloured, but the lack of colour here is detrimental to the image.
The Effect of Colour
A.1.2: Theatrum orbis terrarum by Ortelius, 1603
When we see this atlas in colour in contrast to the 1612 edition, the brilliance of the cartography is brought out. Colour has always been used in cartography to delineate different regions, and to subconsciously alter the perceptions of the viewer through colour symbolism – for example, red as positive and strong, whereas green as negative and passive (Larcher and Piovan, 2018). In this map, the colour also serves to draw our attention to the geographical and zoological aspects of the map, particularly the sea monsters surrounding the island. The map of Iceland is unique in this way, with the other maps in this atlas more closely resembling plain modern maps. Stranger still, there is no explanation in the text for the abundance of real and fantastical creatures.
This atlas, as one of the first world atlases produced, required the assistance of earlier maps to support Ortelius’ own cartography in this ambitious endeavour. One of the maps that Ortelius used as a reference was the Carta Marina, created in 1539 by Olaus Magnus and depicting Scandinavia (Kaks). In it, Iceland is surrounded by sea monsters in much the same way as in our atlas, in contrast to the traditional appearance of the rest of the map. The direct visual reference is made more apparent by Ortelius’ copying of the animal with two blowholes, now thought to be a walrus (Granlund and Crone, 1951). But we can still find no explanation for the presence of the animals.
Magnus was a Swedish Catholic clergyman who embarked on a diplomatic mission with his brother in 1537, travelling from Danzig to Mantua and onwards to Rome. In 1948, the New York-based bookseller Herbert Reichner came across a Roman Catholic pamphlet from the 15th October 1537 with an identical walrus illustration to Magnus’ map. After making this connection, it became clear that Magnus, having acquired one of these pamphlets, decided to speak out against the Protestant Reformation that had occurred in Scandinavia, making this map as a form of protest. By surrounding Iceland with sea monsters, he deliberately made the country unappealing and hostile to outsiders. Ortelius has copied this design and the colours used faithfully, potentially unaware of its intended purpose. He has also added many more sea creatures to it, turning what was once terrifying into a richly detailed and beautiful work of art.
There are, however, many elements of Magnus’ biography and intentions that are contested, and many potential readings of his map.
References:
Worms, L. (2002) ‘Maps and Atlases’, Cambridge History of the Book Volume 4: 1557-1695; Duff, E.G. (1893, 2011), Early Printed Books; Ikeda, M. (2010), ‘The First Experiments in Book Decoration at the Fust-Schöffer Press’, Early Printed Books as Material Objects; Alexander, J.J.G. (1999) ‘Foreign illuminators and illuminated manuscripts’, Cambridge History of the Book Volume 3: 1400-1557; Larcher, V. and Piovan, S. (2018), ‘The Use of Colours in Historical Atlases’, Cartographica; Worms, L., (2002) ‘Maps and Atlases’, Cambridge History of the Book Volume 4: 1557-1695; Granlund, J. and Crone, G.R. (1951), ‘The “Carta Marina” of Olaus Magnus’, Imago Mundi; Ikeda, M. (2010), ‘The First Experiments in Book Decoration at the Fust-Schöffer Press’, Early Printed Books as Material Objects; Kaks, F., Ortelius Atlas, Library of Congress website.