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Paolo Petrini: America Settentrionale . . . Corretta et aumentata . . . (California as an Island). Title: America Settentrionale . . . Corretta et aumentata . . . (California as an Island)Map Maker: Paolo PetriniPlace / Date: Naples / 1700Coloring: UncoloredSize: 21 x 15.5 inchesCondition: Rare map of North America by Paolo Petrini. Petrini was active in Naples at the end of the 17th and early 18th Century.Most of the maps which Petrini produced were drawn directly from the work of Nicholas De Fer, making this map of North America, based upon Sanson's famous map of 1650, a great curiosity. The map follows the 1669 edition of the map, with open Great Lakes, California as an island, limited knowledge of the Mississippi River, which the mouth of which is pushed considerably west of its true location and marvelous detail in New Mexico. Quivira appears east of the Rio Grande, which is shown flowing in to the Gulf of California. The island of California includes over 20 place names, including P. de S. Diego, Canal de S. Barbara, I. De S. Catalina, Pta de Monte Rey, Pta. De Francisco Draco, and other modern place names.Lake Michigan? Is Lago De Puzolenti and Lake Huron is Mar Dolce. Nice detail along the east coast. Many Indian Names appear. The map is engraved by Antonius Donzel Gallus.This is the first edition of the map, which includes the second reference to Petrini the the lower part of the title cartouche, which is removed in the 2nd edition. The map was apparently separately issued, although this example was bound into a composite atlas at some time. Petrini's maps are considered great rarities and are highly collectable. Only one example has appeared in a dealer catalogue in the past 25 years (Cartographic Arts, 1993).References: McLaughlin 138; Tooley 66; Leighly 113.Related Categories:Maps of CaliforniaMaps of North America. Our job is to find and target great art by collecting a vast array of contemporary, vintage, antique and collectible items from across the globe. Individually handcrafted, we breathe new life into these forgotten relics by giving back each piece it's unique story. *All of the art is edited and chosen by us for its high quality and workmanship before posting. These collectibles have been selected with the artist & collector in mind. We are committed to enhancing our customer’s lives by discovering creating, and pointing out only the best art we can find in the world today. We Are Taste-Makers, Art Advisers, Consultants & Publishers Of Spectacular Art Stories. Our job is to be intermediaries between buyers and sellers. We are vetting for high end art patrons. We are determined to catalog the world's most exceptional art and share it with everyone.

The history of the depiction of California as an island in maps of America Settentrionale, or North America, dates back to the 16th century. Early European explorers and cartographers, relying on limited information and inaccurate geographical knowledge, created maps that depicted California as an island separate from the mainland. The origins of the misconception can be traced to the early explorations of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. In 1533, Spanish explorer Fortún Ximénez sailed along the Baja California Peninsula and believed it to be an island. This mistaken belief was perpetuated by subsequent explorers, such as Francisco de Ulloa in 1539 and Hernán Cortés in 1542, who continued to depict California as an island on their maps. The first printed map that depicted California as an island was the "Mapa Mundi" created by the Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius in 1570. Ortelius based his map on the reports of Spanish explorers and believed that California was a large island separated from the mainland by a strait. This map was widely circulated and copied by other cartographers, leading to the popularization of the misconception. The myth of California as an island persisted for several decades, with many cartographers of the time incorporating it into their maps. The idea of California as an island was also popularized in European literature and became ingrained in the European imagination. It was not until the late 17th century that the misconception began to be challenged. In 1687, the Jesuit priest and explorer Eusebio Kino led an expedition to Baja California and proved that it was not an island but a peninsula connected to the mainland. Other explorers and cartographers, such as Guillaume Delisle and Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville, also corrected the error in their maps based on new information and improved cartographic techniques. However, despite the growing evidence to the contrary, maps depicting California as an island continued to be published well into the 18th century. It was not until the late 18th century, with improved mapping techniques and more accurate geographical knowledge, that the misconception was finally dispelled, and California was consistently depicted as a peninsula connected to the mainland in maps of America Settentrionale. Today, the depiction of California as an island in historical maps is considered a cartographic curiosity and a reminder of the limitations of early mapping techniques and geographical knowledge. It serves as a testament to the ever-evolving nature of cartography and our understanding of the world.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_world_maps

Early world maps cover depictions of the world from the Iron Age to the Age of Discovery and the emergence of modern geography during the early modern period.





A map is a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, and themes.



Many maps are static two-dimensional, geometrically accurate (or approximately accurate) representations of three-dimensional space, while others are dynamic or interactive, even three-dimensional. Although most commonly used to depict geography, maps may represent any space, real or imagined, without regard to context or scale; e.g. brain mapping, DNA mapping and extraterrestrial mapping.



Although the earliest maps known are of the heavens, geographic maps of territory have a very long tradition and exist from ancient times. The word "map" comes from the medieval Latin Mappa mundi, wherein mappa meant napkin or cloth and mundi the world. Thus, "map" became the shortened term referring to a two-dimensional representation of the surface of the world.