Italy by J.B. Homann. c. 1720
The Homann Family: Masters of German Cartography and Publishing
The Homann family stands as one of the most significant names in the history of German cartography and publishing. Their maps, atlases, and geographic works not only shaped contemporary understanding of the world during the 18th century but also left an enduring legacy in the fields of geography, engraving, and scholarly publishing.
The family's prominence began with Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724), a native of Oberkammlach in Bavaria. Initially trained in law and theology, Johann Baptist later turned to engraving and cartography — a field that was flourishing amid the Age of Discovery and the growing demand for precise geographic knowledge.
In 1702, he founded his own publishing house in Nürnberg, a city then renowned for its vibrant intellectual, artistic, and scientific community. Nuremberg’s rich tradition of printmaking and map production provided fertile ground for Homann's enterprise.
Johann Baptist Homann quickly rose to prominence as one of Germany’s leading cartographers and publishers. His works combined technical accuracy, artistic merit, and rich ornamentation, often embellished with elaborate cartouches, mythological scenes, and heraldic symbols.
In 1715, Homann was appointed Imperial Geographer to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. This prestigious title solidified his status and bestowed upon his publishing house both credibility and influence. His most famous works include:
- Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis (1707) — an early and ambitious atlas project.
- Grosser Atlas über die ganze Welt (1716) — one of the most crucial German world atlases of the early 18th century.
Homann’s maps covered both European and global territories, including the Americas, Asia, and Africa, reflecting contemporary geographical knowledge and political boundaries.
The Homann Heirs (Homannische Erben)
After Johann Baptist Homann died in 1724, his son Johann Christoph Homann (1703–1730) briefly took over the business. However, Johann Christoph died at a young age, and the enterprise was then continued under the name Homännische Erben ("Homann Heirs"), a partnership of family members and associates.
Despite the loss of its founder, the firm remained highly productive and influential for several decades. The Homann Heirs continued to publish atlases, wall maps, city views, and geographical treatises well into the late 18th century. Their catalogue included works by noted cartographers such as Johann Matthias Hase, Leonhard Euler, and Tobias Conrad Lotter.
The Homann publishing house played a crucial role in disseminating geographic and scientific knowledge during the Enlightenment. Their maps combined artistry with empirical detail and were sought after by scholars, navigators, governments, and collectors.
Several of their works are now prized as valuable historical artefacts, housed in museums, libraries, and private collections around the world. The Homann Heirs' firm gradually declined by the end of the 18th century, overtaken by newer publishing houses and changing technologies, but their contribution to the cartographic tradition remains significant.
The Homann family’s name is indelibly linked to the golden age of German cartography. Through meticulous craftsmanship and a keen sense of visual storytelling, they charted the known world of their time, leaving a remarkable record of early modern geography. Today, their maps not only inform historians of cartography but also captivate collectors and enthusiasts for their aesthetic beauty and historical value.
Statuum Totius Italiae Novißima repraesentatio geographica simul exhibens Insulas Siciliae Sardiniae Corsicae et Maltae
Item Number: 32163 new Authenticity Guarantee
Category: Antique maps > Europe > Italy
Italy by J.B. Homann.
Title: Statuum Totius Italiae Novißima repraesentatio geographica simul exhibens Insulas Siciliae Sardiniae Corsicae et Maltae
conante Io. Baptista Homanno.
Date of the first edition: 1707.
Date of this map: c. 1720.
Copper engraving, printed on paper.
Image size: 490 x 565mm (19¼ x 22¼ inches).
Sheet size: 520 x 600mm (20½ x 23½ inches).
Verso: Blank.
Condition: Original coloured, lower centrefold split reinforced, small printers crease at bottom centre.
Condition Rating: A.
From: Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia, regna et status exactis tabulis geographice demonstrans. Nuremberg, J.B. Homann, [c. 1720].
The Homann Family: Masters of German Cartography and Publishing
The Homann family stands as one of the most significant names in the history of German cartography and publishing. Their maps, atlases, and geographic works not only shaped contemporary understanding of the world during the 18th century but also left an enduring legacy in the fields of geography, engraving, and scholarly publishing.
The family's prominence began with Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724), a native of Oberkammlach in Bavaria. Initially trained in law and theology, Johann Baptist later turned to engraving and cartography — a field that was flourishing amid the Age of Discovery and the growing demand for precise geographic knowledge.
In 1702, he founded his own publishing house in Nürnberg, a city then renowned for its vibrant intellectual, artistic, and scientific community. Nuremberg’s rich tradition of printmaking and map production provided fertile ground for Homann's enterprise.
Johann Baptist Homann quickly rose to prominence as one of Germany’s leading cartographers and publishers. His works combined technical accuracy, artistic merit, and rich ornamentation, often embellished with elaborate cartouches, mythological scenes, and heraldic symbols.
In 1715, Homann was appointed Imperial Geographer to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. This prestigious title solidified his status and bestowed upon his publishing house both credibility and influence. His most famous works include:
- Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis (1707) — an early and ambitious atlas project.
- Grosser Atlas über die ganze Welt (1716) — one of the most crucial German world atlases of the early 18th century.
Homann’s maps covered both European and global territories, including the Americas, Asia, and Africa, reflecting contemporary geographical knowledge and political boundaries.
The Homann Heirs (Homannische Erben)
After Johann Baptist Homann died in 1724, his son Johann Christoph Homann (1703–1730) briefly took over the business. However, Johann Christoph died at a young age, and the enterprise was then continued under the name Homännische Erben ("Homann Heirs"), a partnership of family members and associates.
Despite the loss of its founder, the firm remained highly productive and influential for several decades. The Homann Heirs continued to publish atlases, wall maps, city views, and geographical treatises well into the late 18th century. Their catalogue included works by noted cartographers such as Johann Matthias Hase, Leonhard Euler, and Tobias Conrad Lotter.
The Homann publishing house played a crucial role in disseminating geographic and scientific knowledge during the Enlightenment. Their maps combined artistry with empirical detail and were sought after by scholars, navigators, governments, and collectors.
Several of their works are now prized as valuable historical artefacts, housed in museums, libraries, and private collections around the world. The Homann Heirs' firm gradually declined by the end of the 18th century, overtaken by newer publishing houses and changing technologies, but their contribution to the cartographic tradition remains significant.
The Homann family’s name is indelibly linked to the golden age of German cartography. Through meticulous craftsmanship and a keen sense of visual storytelling, they charted the known world of their time, leaving a remarkable record of early modern geography. Today, their maps not only inform historians of cartography but also captivate collectors and enthusiasts for their aesthetic beauty and historical value.
Related items
Italiae Veteris Specimen 1601
ITALY by Abraham Ortelius
[Item number: 12412]
Italia, Divisa in Statum Ecclesiasticum, Regnum Neapolitanum, Resp. Venetiarum, Genuae, et Lucae: Magnum Ducatum Etruriae, Ducatus Sabaudiae, Mediolani, Mutinae, Parmae et Mirandulae: Insulas Siliciam, Sardiniam, et Superjacentia Regna et Regiones c. 1730.
Italy, by Valk G.& L.
[Item number: 14145]
Italia XIX Nova Tabula. 1545
ITALY by Münster S.
[Item number: 17073]
Italiae Novissima Descriptio Auctore Iacobo Castaldo Pedemontano. 1612
Italy by Abraham Ortelius
[Item number: 22982]
L'Italie. 1713
Italy, by Pieter Van der Aa.
[Item number: 26083]
Italia Antiqua Philippo Cluvero Borusso Designatore. / Iodocus Hondius excud. 1630
Ancient Italy, by J. Janssonius - J. Hondius.
[Item number: 26223]
Italia. 1597
Italy, by Giovanni Magini.
[Item number: 26517]
Important Ptolemy map
Tabula Europ. Sexta Italiae. 1513
Italy by Waldseemüller Martin
[Item number: 27588]
L'Italie Divisée en ses différents Etats, Royaumes et Républiques. 1776-79
Italy, by Sr. Janvier Jean Denis.
[Item number: 28076]
Italia Antiqua cum Insulis Sicilia, Sardinia, et Corsica, 1776-79
Ancient Italy, by Paolo Santini, after Nicolas Sanson & Sr. Robert de Vaugondy.
[Item number: 28107]
The most important Italy map of the 16th century
Il Disegno della Geografia Moderna de Tutta la Provincia de la Italia. 1561
Italy by Giacomo Gastaldi. (Italia)
[Item number: 28121]
Rare
L'Italia nobilissima provincia della Europa su nominata con diversi nomi, ... 1664
Italy by Donato Rascicotti, published in Venice by Steffano Scolari.
[Item number: 28782]
Rare
Italiae, Sardiniae, Corsicae, et confinium Regionum nova Tabula, effigies praecipuarum Urbiu[m] et habituum inibi simul complectens. 1640
Italy, by Willem Blaeu, published by Cornelis Danckerts.
[Item number: 29405]
Nouvelle Carte de L'Etat present de l'Italie pour parvenir par une Methode nouvelle, a la connoissance de la Geographie, et de l'Histoire; et tres utile pour les voiages. 1713
Map of Italy by Zacharias Châtelain.
[Item number: 29641]
Carte Generale de l'Italie et des Isles et Pays Circonvoisins. 1652
Italy by Nicolas Sanson.
[Item number: 29672]
Antiquorum Italiae & Illyrici Occidentalis Episcopatuu Geographica descriptio. 1641 or later
Ancient Italy (Italia) & Dalmatia by Melchior Tavernier.
[Item number: 30035]
Ta .NO. Italiae. 1525
Italy, by Lorenz Fries.
[Item number: 30321]
Tabula .VI. Euro. 1525
Ptolemy map of Italy by Lorenz Fries, after Martin Waldseemüller.
[Item number: 30370]
Italiae Veteris Specimen. 1595
Ancient Italy, by Abraham Ortelius
[Item number: 30532]
Italiae Novissima Descriptio Auctore Iacobo Castaldo Pedemontano. 1584
Italy by Abraham Ortelius.
[Item number: 30985]
Italien in seine unterschiedene Laender eingeteilet c. 1745.
Italy by J.G. Schreiber.
[Item number: 31106]
L'Italie distinguée suivant l'estendue de tous les Estats, Royaumes, Republiques, Duchés, Principautés qui la partagent presentement. 1692
Italy by N. Sanson, so-called published by Hubert Jaillot. (Pirated edition by Pierre Mortier).
[Item number: 31275]
Italia. 1618
Italy by Petrus Bertius, published by Jodocus Hondius II.
[Item number: 31645]