The scarce De Jode map of the Danube

Christian s'Grooten's map of the course of the Danube through Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, but also showing Strassbourg, Venice and Ravenna. Bottom left is a large cartouche containing eleven armorials.

Engraved c.1566-1570, this example comes from the 1593 edition of Gerard De Jode's 'Speculum Orbis Terrae', published two years after his death by his widow and son. This was to be the last edition: after the death of Cornelis De Jode in 1600 the plates were bought by the owner of the Ortelius plates, merely to stop their re-issue.

Some of the most famous names in cartography of this period appear on this map: De Jode was the great rival of Ortelius, with whom he had a long-running feud; Gastaldi, De Jode's source, is best known for his maps in the 'Lafreri-type' atlases; and Lucas & Jan van Doeticum, the engravers, are renowned for the flair of their engraving for Waghenaer, Linschoten and Ortelius.