From ancient times we have tried to make sense of the world around us and it is this drive to understand and document our environment has given rise to one of arts' least appreciated gems - antique maps and cartography.
Although today we are used to maps as dry, functional things that we occasionally reach for when lost, it was only a few centuries ago that they commanded the attention and wonder normally reserved for great works of art.
Cartography as Art
The earliest maps date back to ancient Greece and the works of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy from the 2nd century are still referred to now as elegant examples of the rise of early cartography.
Map making went into decline during the Medieval era as leading thinkers concentrated more on religion and spiritual matters than the details of geography. However with the rise of European navies in the 16th and 17th centuries all this changed with cartography attracting not only the best geographers and astronomers, but also attracting the attention of many skilled artists.
