Antonio Zatta
Iceland, 1781
13 x 16 in
33 x 41 cm
33 x 41 cm
SCAN2649
£ 595.00
Lovely example of Zatta's map of Iceland based on the suppressed Knoff survey. Hans Henrik Knoff was a Norwegian army officer who spent five summers in Iceland making a new...
Lovely example of Zatta's map of Iceland based on the suppressed Knoff survey.
Hans Henrik Knoff was a Norwegian army officer who spent five summers in Iceland making a new survey of the island on behalf of the Danish government. Upon its completion, he returned to Copenhagen only to have his survey suppressed as he had sent copies of it to the Norwegian government. This was perceived as a treacherous act.
The survey was suppressed until 1761, when the incoming governor of Iceland had it published by the firm of Homanns Heirs and it suddenly surpassed all earlier plans of the island in accuracy.
Zatta used this new survey and added a rather fanciful scenic cartouche on the lower right.
Original colour. [SCAN2649]
Hans Henrik Knoff was a Norwegian army officer who spent five summers in Iceland making a new survey of the island on behalf of the Danish government. Upon its completion, he returned to Copenhagen only to have his survey suppressed as he had sent copies of it to the Norwegian government. This was perceived as a treacherous act.
The survey was suppressed until 1761, when the incoming governor of Iceland had it published by the firm of Homanns Heirs and it suddenly surpassed all earlier plans of the island in accuracy.
Zatta used this new survey and added a rather fanciful scenic cartouche on the lower right.
Original colour. [SCAN2649]
