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Home , Abraham Ortelius, Atlas, Frans Hogenberg, Gemma Frisius, Gerardus Mercator

page 16 bU''0 RUPELMUNDANUS Cartographer & Man Carlos van Caiiwenherghe Former Head of Hydrographic Service,

Introduction An insight into the life of Geradus Mercator (1512-1594) can be found via several basic sources Firstly, there is his biography published in 1595 by his friend, Walter Ghim, Mayor of in This introduced his celebrated ctmtaining 107 (Mercator, 1595) published after Mercator's death by his son, Rumold Secondly, there is his surviving correspondence and there are also accounts of his life by other contemporaries such as the cartographer (1527-1598) and the Flemish historian, Antonius Sanderus (1586-1664) Additionally, much historical information was provided by Mercator himself, mainly in the form of prefaces to his works or as notes on his many maps while the archives of the University of Louvain also provide additional details on this very talented and versatile Renaissance man Mainly revered as a cartographer. Mercator was nonetheless noted for many other abilities He was, for instance, an accomplished mathematician, philosopher, metaphysic, theologian, historian, , land surveyor, engraver, instrument maker, calligrapher, astronomer and cosmographer But it was not until the 19th century that his true importance was rediscovered

Childhood and education In , Mercator first met the such as copper and wood At the same Gerardus Mercator (or Gerard de Oenier Flemish astronomer and cartographer, he pursued studies in mathematics to give him his real Flemish name) was Franciscus Monachus, a Franciscan monk, with particular reference to born on 5 March 1512 in Rupelmonde, who stimulated his interest in astronomy and geographic positioning He also near Antwerp, (Belgium), the Probably this acquaintance also brought established a land practice, seventh child of the shoemaker Hubertus him into contact with the engraver and becoming a noted authority on Louv aine de Crenier and his wife, Emerentia It is goldsmith, Gaspard Van der Heyden in and other towns thought that Gijsbrecht de Cremer, an Louvaine, who had already made a In 1536, collaboration between uncle and chaplain, provided educational terrestrial globe for Monachus in 1528 Mercator, Gemma Fnsius and Van der and financial assistance to such a large or 1529 Heyden led to the construction of a family copper engraved terrestrial globe with a After his father's death in 1525 or Mercator as an independent diameter of 37cm A celestial variant was 1526, Gerard was sent by his uncle-priest, cartographer in Louvain produced a year later Although known from ancient , globes were then in for three and a half years, to a school In 1534 or 1535, Mercator returned to great demand since countries and stars administered by friars in 's Hertogenbosch Louvain, but not to the university could be better and more accurately (The ), where he studied Rather, it was his intention to work with depicted on a sphere than a flat grammar and the principles of more practical people skilled m helping dialectics Later, on 29 August 1530, he him to map a world awakened by Mercator's first map, of Palestine or was admitted to the University of Louvain numerous discoveries by mariners around the Holy Land, was published in 1537 under the Latin name 'Gerardus Mercator the globe Louvain was then a centre of and dedicated to Frans van Cranevelt, dc Rupclmunda', where he studied scientific , mainly due to the Councillor to Emperor Charles V The humanities and phikisophy and obtained presence of Rcinicr following year saw the appearance of his ) Master's Degree, in October 1532 (1508-1555), a physician and first small map of the world, Orfcis Ima^o Around this time, he was particularly mathematician at the university who had (on a scale of 1 62,000,000 and 513 x interested in cosmology as a precursor to already published a practical manual on 330mm in size), dedicated to his friend his later cartographic activities but tnangulation and was well-versed m the Johan Drusius This featured a double- nonetheless had doubts about the work of the Polish astronomer, Nicolaus hearted configuration (one heart for each prevailing geocentric theories of Copernicus (147M543) (Watelet, hemisphere), a technique culled from a , Plato, , Thomas 1996) The cosmological theories of map of the world edited in 1531 by the Aquinas ct al which were then received Copernicus and Frisius were to have an French cartographer, Orontius Finaeus wisdom Many years later, he wrote about important impact on the formative (1494-1555) these doubts while trying to reconcile education of Mercator In 1540, a map of Flanders was Aristotle's notions with those of the Holy To supplement a meagre income. produced in response to a commission by Bible (De Smet, 1962) These Mercator hereabouts decided to also authorities in , Antwerp and reservations were perhaps instrumental in make numerous nautical instruments Louvain on behalf of King Charles V, his leaving a conservative, doctrinaire such as terrestrial and celestial globes, Emperor of the Burgundian, Spanish and Louvaine in 1533 or 1534 for the more , , armiUary spheres Austrian which iKo liberal pastures of Antwerp, then a richly and astronomic rings He was by now encompassed Flanders For production of cultured city which was also the centre of very accomplished in drawing, this map (scale of 1 172,000 and 1250 x typognpby in Western and working with materials 960mm in size) Mercator certainly did

No 116 April 2005 THE HYDROGRAPHIC: JOURNAL page 17 not have the time or the financial means parallels influenced, to some extent, the to execute some basic measurements points on Thus the next 50 years using the principles of triangulation of saw continuing use of globes by sailors Gemma Frisius It is clear that he was In 1599, the Irish mathematician and obliged to adopt many ideas from the cosmographer, Edward Wright (1558- charts of Jacob van Deventer, Pieter Van 1615), formulated the mathematical basis der Beke (cartographer in Ghent), and of the in his work, the Swede, Olaus Magnus (1490-1558) as Certaine Errors in Detected and well as Frisius himself Nevertheless this Corrected This provided an explanation map (without any graduations) bears otherwise lacking in Mercator's work comparison with a modern chart, And so It was only in 1630 that the containing inaccuracies of no more than Mercator projection began to be used on 3 4% over prescribed distances An nautical charts accompanied by incomplete copy is in Antwerp's Plantin explanations m local languages Moretus Museum Newer emergent understandings of A terrestrial globe with a religion and science, characterised by the circumference of 130cm was subsequently European Renaissance period, exerted an completed in 1541 With a reference important influence on Mercator's meridian passing through Fuerteventura thinking and deliberations It had always in the Canary Isles, this combined the been his intention to make a vision of Ptolemy with more recent comprehensive cosmographical study of Figure i Portalt of Lierardus Mercator by Frans findings originating from new discoveries Hofienher^ the and the Earth in a so-called by Portuguese and Spanish mariners magnum opus consisting of five parts the In 1544, despite prohibitions by the The large chart of Europe, Europae creation of the universe, astronomy, a and Charles V, descnptio, was published in October 1554 geographic description of the earth, a had increasingly spread With a scale of 1 4,280,000 and 1 50 x political/historical section and a throughout the Flemish territories As a 1 27m dimensions, it marked a very But he was never to fully result. Mercator, with his heretical important cartographic development on complete the work cosmological views at variance with which Mercator had worked for at least The chronology itself, though, was a establishment wisdom, was arrested along sixteen years among other assignments rather curious work Based on the Bible, with 42 other so-called Lutheran suspects With a grid of parallels and meridians, it astronomical data and some established After seven months' imprisonment m was an improved version of Claudius historical data of the time, it comprised a Rupelnionde Castle, he was released Ptolemy's Geographia and an immense 457-page overview of world events without charge following the intercession success with a second edition appearing in beginning with the moment of creation of local university and clerical authorities 1572, records show that around 500 calculated to be precisely 5,544 years prior The next eight years were spent copies were sold to 1569 Incorporating also the manufacturing astronomical instruments The sole remaining copy of this map doctrines of , the work was while producing a celestial globe and a was unfortunately lost in the destruction indexed by Pope Sixtus V (1520-90) large chart of Europe, mainly at the of Breslau's municipal library m 1945 Mercator's friendship with his fellow- request of the Emperor and other However, In 1967 a Mercator Atlas in a Flemish cartographer, Ortelius, led to a dignitaries Unfortunately, none of these large format (39 5 x 27 7cm) was journey by both to France m 1560 instruments remain, having either been discovered containing, among other accompanied by two engravers, Frans destroyed or lost during Charles V's maps, almost the whole of this chart of Hogenberg and Philips Galle Hereabouts, frequent incursive wars Europe, it is now m a private collection both cartographers discussed prospects of (Watelet, 1996) compiling a series of maps in a bound Mercator at his cartographic Between April and October 1564 folio Only later was the name of'atlas' for peal( in Duisburg Mercator made a chart of the Duchy of this sort of cartographic work introduced in late 1552, Mercator and his family Lorraine (now also lost), ordered by the A folio format was considered by some quit Louvain for good and went to Duke Charles II In the same year, he also as being more practical and manageable Duisburg, then a small rural town published a chart of the British Isles, than existing charts, which had many bordering the Rhine with barely 3,000 Angliae, Scotiae et Hibernae nova descriptio, different dimensions In May 1570, inhabitants A year later, he was in probably a collaboration with the British Ortelius published his life's work to offer the Emperor his cartographer, Laurence Nowell , as the first atlas astronomical metal rings and an In August 1569, Mercator's m history containing a large collection of instrument representing the sky and the that was to make him famous was maps Its success resulted in the earth Here he added an explanation for produced and named Nova et aucta orbis appearance of 34 editions including, m his instruments in a publication with a tarrae descriptio ad usum navigantium 1608, Latin, Dutch, French, English, chapter devoted to the earth's magnetism emendate accomodata Some 1 94m in Italian and Spanish versions and location of the magnetic poles In length, It was designed to improve safety Meanwhile, Mercator wanted to go producing his charts and globes for of shipping and is the only map of his to back to the the original cartographic shipping at that time. Mercator was feature the celebrated projection system understandings of Ptolemy and published particularly concerned with the problem bearing his name With this advance. in 1578 his first collection of maps. of the magnetic poles since it had been Mercator was well ahead of his time, but Tabulae geographicae CI Ptolemaei ad known from the 15th century that there the significance of the system was not mentem autoris restitutae et emendatae was a difference between them and their readily appreciated by navigators This was a corrected version of Ptolemy's geographic counterparts This concern unfamiliar with limited explanations in (Jeographia featuring a general world map was typified by the Flemish engraver, Latin Moreover, Mercator's English in addition to ten for Europe, four for , m his 1574 etching of friend and mathematician, and twelve for A second Mercator with a in his right (1527-1608), had reservations about the edition followed in 1584 hand indicating the magnetic North projection system on the grounds that the Mercator's last years were spent on Pole (Figure 1) asymmetry in the grid of meridians and production of more modern charts Work

THE HYDROGRAPHIC JOURNAL No 116 April 2005 page 18 went less smoothly not only because he was so meticulous, hut also because he still had to fulfil other assignments while his Blondeau, R.A.(1993). Mercator van health began to deteriorate. Rupelmonde. Uitgeverij Lannoo NV Tielt. In 1585, a first series of 51 maps of i44 pages. France, Switzerland, the Low Countries Breusing, A. (1889). Gerhard Kremer gen. and Germany, was published. Entitled Mercator, der deutsche Geograph. 61 pages. Galliae tabulae geographicae, it formed the Calcoen, R., H. Elkhadem, J.P. Heerbrant, first part of the later-named Mercator D. Imhof, E.Otte, A.Van de Gucht, Atlas, published in 1595 by his son, L.Wellens-De Donder, (1994). Gerard Rumold. Mercator Cartograaf 15)2-1594. Gemeen­ The period 1586-87, however, proved tekrediet. 160 f>ages. to be traumatic with the death in August Cotter, C.H. Evolution de la carte marine. 1586 of Mercator's devoted wife and Revue Internationale H>drograf>liique, mother of his 6 children, Barbara. He was MoTUico LIV (I), Janvier 1977. 13 pages. later remarried to Gertrude Vicrlings, Crane N. (2002). Mercator, the Man who widow of Ambrosius Maurus, the former mapped the Planet. Translated in Dutch mayor of Duisburg. by Jos de Bckker: Mercator, de man, die de In 1589, a second series of 23 maps of aarde in kaart bracht. Ambo / Manteau, the and was published. This / Antwerpen. also comprised the second set of charts of Dee, ]. (1558). Propaedeurrmta aphoristica. the later-named Atlas and was the last . cartographic work published during his De Smet, A. (1962). Mercator a Louvain lifetime. 1530-1552. Duisburger Forsc/iungen, 6, Later, Mercator continued working on 1962,/)/). 28-90. a third series of modem charts of North Dinse P (1894). Zum Gedachtnis European countries but on 5 May 1590, he F(^<7t' 2 - ndc /'ci^v t>f the Mt^rcaun Ar/d^ Gerhard Mercator's. Ver/iandlungen der suffered a stroke which left him partially between 1609 and 1619 and a further Gesellscha/t für Erdkunde zu Berlin. paralysed. Thereafter any cartographic Bd.XXI. work became impossible, with Mercator three in English between 1636 and 1641- turning his attention instead to religious While Mercator's break from the Goossens, M., X. Van De Poel, R.A. Blondeau, F. Depuydt, D. Grobben, affairs and the completion of a further methods of Ptolemy were as important for F. Canters, J. De Smet, M. Anthrop, as Copernicus was for section of his magnum opus, the story of R. Goosens, D. Vanneste, A. Vanhetsel, astronomy, his epoch-making endeavours Creation. Among other completed G. Polfliet en A. Van der Gucht (1996). publications was a comparative study of were not without fault. Perhaps his biggest Van Mercator tot computerkaart - Een the four , written in Latin. mistake was charting of an area imknown geschiedenis van de cartografie. Brepols en Following a second stroke, Gerard at the time - the Arctic. His map of the StadSint-Niklaas. 114 pages. (Figure 3), for example, needs Mercator died in Duisberg on 2 December Karrow, Jr., R.W., H. Elkhadem, PH. 1594. no further comment. Meurer, L. Danckaert, A. Meskens, But what is indisputable is a remarkable L. Wellens-De Donder, G. Mangani, Posthumous work contribution to the science of reason in J. Romm, J. Depuydt, J. De Landsheer, In 1595, Mercator's surviving son, turbulent times from a man who first H. Meeus, G. Toumoy, N. Büttner, C.E. Dekesel en D. Imhof (1998). Abraham Rumold, published the pinnacle of his learned to read and speak Latin fluently at the age of seven and was later to write: Ortelius (1527-1598), cartograaf en father's vast body of wc^rk. Atlas iive humanist. Museum Plantijn-Moretus, cosmographicae mcditationes de Fabrica Since my youth geography has been Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België en Mundi et fabricati figura (Atlas or for me the primary object of study. uitgeverij Brepols. Turnhout 208 fiages. cosmographic considerations on the When I was engaged in it, having Mercator, G.(1595). Atlas sive creation of the world and a view on the applied the considerations of the cosmographicae meditationes de fabrica created things). Edited by Bernard Busius natural and geometric sciences, I mundi et fabricati figura. Duisburg. in Diisseldorf, it contains the real 'Atlas' or liked, little by little, not only the a collection of 107 maps (size 36 x Mercator G. (1569). Chronologia. Hoc description of the earth, but also the est, temporum demonstratio exactissima, 39.5cm) from the first two series structure of the whole machinery of ab initio mundi, usque as annum Domini previously published in 1585 and 1589 the world, whose numerous elements M.D.LXVlll, ex eclipsibus et obser- plus unpublished ones completed by are not known by anyone to date. vationibus astromicis omnium temporum, Rumold. sacris quoq; Biblijs, et optimis quibusq; The title page of this vast work (Figure Scriptoribus summa fide concinnata. 2) is an allegorical drawing depicting the Arnold Birkmann, Keulen. mythical son of Atlas. This 'Atlas of Sanderus, A (1644). Flandria illustrata. Mercator', containing the most modern Van Raemdonck, J.H. (1869). Gerard charts of the time, was a great success in Mercator, sa vie et ses oeuvres. Sint- the western world as evidenced by a Niklaas. 372 pages. reprint in 1602 and the appearance often Van Raemdock J.H. (1870). Gerard de later editions between 1606 and 1630. Cremer ou Mercator, Géographe Rumold having also died, in 1600, flamand. Réponce a ia conférence du Dr. Mercator's grandchildren first took care of Breusing. Annalen van de Oudheidkundige the reprints but as they had little or no Kring van het Land van Waas, dl.4, pp. vocation for cartography, the engraved 17-93. copper plates were later sold at auction to Watelet, M. et al (1996). Gerardus Judocus Hondius. His .subsequent new Mercator Rupelmundanus. Mercator/onds editions were entitled Mercator-Hondius- Paribas. Antwerfien. 448 pages, 450 Atlas, three French versions appearing Fij^iTi^ }. Ma/1 ()/ [/le North Polt.' by Mercator illustrations (350 in colour).

No. 116 April 2005 THE HYDROGRAPHIC JOURNAL