This map belongs to one of the celebrated portolan atlases made by the Genoese cartographer Battista Agnese in Venice in 1553. The complete atlas comprised 33 manuscript nautical charts on parchment, intended for princes, wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials. Agnese was active between 1534 and 1564, producing at least 71 atlases distinguished by high-quality craftsmanship and rich decoration. His charts combined nautical precision with artistic value, including latitudes (but not longitudes) and rhumb lines. This 1553 example is held at the Museo Correr in Venice and depicts the New World with the typical features of Renaissance portolan charts: rhumb lines for navigation, detailed coastlines, and elaborate decorations with human figures and vegetation. Agnese liked to incorporate new geographical discoveries into his maps, making this atlas a valuable record of 16th-century cartographic knowledge.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in) With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in) Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
How an Amalfi art print is made, what the frame is like, what museum glass is, how long shipping takes, and how returns work: we’ve gathered all the answers on a single page.
