World Map - Pieter Van der Aa

This world map, attributed to Pieter van der Aa and datable to the first decades of the 18th century, reflects European cartography from the age of great explorations, when the globe was almost entirely known but still subject to corrections and imperial ambitions. The representation combines geographical function with decorative value: coasts, continents, and oceanic routes coexist within an elegant composition, also intended for collecting and scholarly dissemination. In this period, maps were not only used for orientation but also to showcase the cultural and scientific prestige of those who produced and owned them.

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