Antique Map of Brabant by Homann (c.1720)

Description: Antique map titled 'Ducatus Brabantiae Nova Tabula in qua Lovanii Bruxellarum March S. Impreii Sylvae Ducis et Merchliniae Dominia.' This fully engraved copperplate map covers important Duchy of Brabant and is centered on the large fortress of Louvain, site of the first university in the Low Countries. Also delineated are the walled and fortified cities of Antwerp, Brussels, Niville, Mechelen, Sandvliet, Breda, Megen, Eindhoven, and Tilmont. The very decorative figurative title cartouche features the coat of arms, soldiers and putti. Source unknown, to be determined.

Artists and Engravers: Made by an anonymous engraver after 'Johann Baptist Homann'. The Homann family became the most important map publishers in Germany in the eighteenth century, the business being founded by J.B. Homann in Nuremberg about the year 1702. Soon after publishing his first atlas in 1707 he became a member of the Berlin academy of Sciences and in 1715 he was appointed Geographer to the Emperor. After the founder's death in 1724, the firm was continued under the direction of his son until 1730 and was then bequeathed to his heirs on the condition that it trades under the name of Homann Heirs. The firm remained in being until the next century and had a wide influence on map publishing in Germany. Apart from the atlases the firm published a very large number of individual maps. The Homanns produced a Neuer Atlas in 1714, a Grosser Atlas in 1737, and an Atlas Maior with about 300 maps in 1780. They also issued a special Atlas of Germany with full sized plans of principal cities, school atlases and an Atlas of Silesia in 1750 with 20 maps.