As a catalyst for social development, the combination of print and cartography has few parallels in shaping the world as we know it today. Following Gutenberg’s introduction of moveable type, the convergence of new craft and ancient art became a pivotal factor in the intellectual, cultural, and political revolutions of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe. A product of complementary advances in science, navigation, and trade, the cartographic record of the period encapsulates a cross-section of these developments, all of which signaled the epochal discovery that the Earth was not the unmoving center of all creation but, in fact, an orbiting planet.
While the Copernican theory of a heliocentric universe contradicted literal interpretations scripture, it could help resolve a problematic technical issue facing church leaders in the sixteenth century—namely, the matter of calendar reform. Initially the Church accepted the theory as a mathematical contrivance, useful in simplifying a narrowly defined set of calculations, but in no way seen as a representation of the universe itself. Given, however, the weight of Galileo’s observational proof, and the theory’s formal perfection in the hands of Kepler, the truth of the Copernican scheme became increasingly apparent among a growing class of intelligentsia. Public support could incur the wrath of the Inquisition, wherever it held sway. But for those beyond its reach, mastery of this new model could be used to improve the frequency, range, and speed of geographic surveys and, thus, the accuracy of the maps they supported.
As a strategic consideration, this development carried unmistakable commercial and military advantage for developing colonial empires suddenly scrambling for increased dominion. Strident theological objections were ultimately inadequate in a world that offered ecclesiastic authorities decreasing control over the printing press. As transoceanic trade rivaled, then eclipsed, the commercial value of traditional agriculture, investment poured into the enterprises fast superseding the feudal political order that had dominated Western Europe for seven centuries. The resulting changes set in motion deeper reforms that cumulated with the establishment of the sovereign state, and not long thereafter, a recognition of the rights proper to individual citizens.
This exhibition from the Wendt Collection presents works central to this pivotal development. The maps on display are considered from two general perspectives. The first is focused on the maps themselves, considering both the geographic forms they illustrate and the development of the underlying spatial systems to which these forms adhere. The second illuminates external developments that shaped cartographic progress, ranging from advancements in medium itself to the broader historical and cultural shifts that were powering its growth and setting its course.