Europe - Norway

Technical data Title: The Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway. Chart of the Scandinavian Peninsula and Finland, with Lapland and territories along the eastern Baltic. Author: I. Peeters. Engraver: Jacobus Harrewijn (1660–1727), attributed; unsigned plate. Designer: I. Peeters. Publisher / Printer: Juan Bautista Verdussen. Place: Antwerp. Era / Date: 1725. Technique: Copper engraving on copper, executed with etching and engraving, with period hand coloring along the boundaries, along some coastlines and on ornamental elements. Support: Wove paper. Dimensions: Sheet 19 × 20 cm; plate 16.5 × 14 cm. Composition: Single plate with a central vertical fold; title within a cartouche with volutes at the upper left, two heraldic shields, a graphic scale with double distance indication, and a graduated frame. On the verso, printed text is absent. Description Geographic map entitled The Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, published in Antwerp in 1725, dedicated to the Scandinavian Peninsula and Finland. The depiction extends from the southern coasts of Sweden and part of Denmark to the North Cape, including Lapland, the Gulf of Bothnia, and the Gulf of Finland. The territory is organized through a dense network of rivers, lakes, and inhabited centers. The Norwegian coasts are delineated with numerous inlets and islands, while inland the relief is rendered by small groups of mountains. Finland occupies the eastern sector of the map, characterized by a wide presence of lake basins; to the south appear Lake Ladoga, Ingria, and part of Livonia. Manual coloring distinguishes the boundaries and certain coastlines with yellow, green, and red tones. The main settlements are marked by architectural symbols, accompanied by a historical toponymy that includes Stockholm, Bergen, and other centers of the region. In the Baltic are represented, among others, the islands of Gotland and Saaremaa. In the upper left, the volute cartouche contains the title, the distance scale expressed in large French leagues and Swedish leagues, and two heraldic shields referring to the kingdoms depicted. The graduated frame completes a composition rich in information, kept legible within the small format. Historical-artistic note The plate offers a geographic reading of northern Europe in which coasts, waterways, and territorial divisions are of particular importance. The distinction between the Lapland areas and the wide area reserved for Finland accompanies the depiction of the two kingdoms announced in the title. The drawing combines conventional symbols for mountains and settlements with a detailed description of the hydrographic network. The heraldic cartouche and the selective coloring complete the descriptive function of the map, imparting it with a sober ornamental quality. Condition Report Map with slight yellowing, widespread browning and scattered foxing spots, present on the recto and verso. Central vertical crease marked, with darkening and slight creases along the fold line, more evident in the upper and lower margins. Margins present on all four sides, with slight waviness and small signs of peripheral wear. Verso free of printed text, with engraving transparency, brown-green halos corresponding to some colored areas, and minute traces of yellow pigment. Sharp impression, with good legibility of the toponymy and clearly distinguishable coloring.

Estimate:£0.84

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