Displacing China: The Martini-Blaeu Novus Atlas Sinensis and the Late Renaissance Shift in Representations of East Asia

Author:

Cams, Mario

Format:

Journal Article

Year:

2020

Journal Title:

Renaissance Quarterly

Volume:

73

Issue:

3

Language:

English

Abstract:

In the mid-seventeenth century, as the first full atlas of East Asia became available on the European book market, a dramatic shift took place in textual and visual representations of the Far East. The atlas, titled Novus Atlas Sinensis (1655), was the product of a cooperation between Joan Blaeu, who headed one of Europe's foremost commercial publishing houses, and Martino Martini, a prominent Jesuit missionary to China. This study shows how the Martini-Blaeu atlas thoroughly challenged the worldview of late Renaissance audiences by tracing and reconstructing a series of displacements that facilitated its production process.

Who (Jesuits):

Martini, Martino, 1614–1661

What (Subjects):

Missions -- Arts -- Images -- Atlas

Writings -- Atlases

History of Books -- Publishing

Where (Locations):

Asia -- China

When (Centuries):

17th century

Worldcat URL:

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/8672719979

Publisher URL:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/renaissance-quarterly/article/displacing-china-the-martiniblaeu-novus-atlas-sinensis-and-the-late-renaissance-shift-in-representations-of-east-asia/E753446335611709C99F520BBB124A34

https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/E753446335611709C99F520BBB124A34/core-reader

Page Range:

953-990

ISSN:

0034-4338

DOI:

10.1017/rqx.2020.123