Clavdii Ptholemaei Alexandrini liber geographiae, cvm tabvlis et vniversali figvra et cvm additione locorum quae a recentioribvs reperta svnt, diligenti cvra emendatvs et impressvs
Ptolemy
(2nd century)
Bernardus Sylvanus Eboliensis
Unidentified artist, Italian, 16th century
Jacopo Pencio
(Italian, active 1486–1530)
1511
Place of PublicationVenice, Italy
Medium/TechniqueIllustrated book with 28 woodcuts and four diagrams, some with hand-applied watercolor
DimensionsOverall: 43 x 29.6 x 2.5 cm (16 15/16 x 11 5/8 x 1 in.)
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Accession numberBR1063
On View
Not on viewClassificationsIllustrated books
Collections
Venice: Jacopo Pencio, 1511
This book is a mix of old and new. Though Ptolemy wrote his Geography in the 2nd century, it was still the most comprehensive geographical treatise available in the early 1500s. But it was also clear that the Geography was neither complete nor infallible. The editor of this edition decided that he would keep Ptolemy’s maps and data, but correct them—a nearly hopeless task. This updated world map includes both new things—like the coast of the Americas—and ancient ones, such as Ptolemy’s island of Taprobana, where India should be.
ProvenanceOld ownership inscription on title page [member of Inghirami family]; 1900, sold by Leo S. Olschki, Florence, to the MFA. (Accession Date: April 17, 1900)
