Old Map of the Voyage of the Argonauts by Abraham Ortelius
Price range: £35.55 through £59.95
Abraham Ortelius’s map of the Argonauts, from the Parergon
This map turns the story of Jason and the Argonauts into a journey through ancient geography. The route crosses the Mediterranean and Aegean worlds towards the Black Sea and Colchis, while classical place names connect the legend with regions that readers of Ortelius’s time could locate in ancient texts.
Inset maps and decorative cartouches give the sheet the character of a learned atlas plate. It makes a distinctive fine art print for anyone interested in classical history, mythology or the history of cartography; supplied unframed.
A stunning certified FINE ART PRINT on heavy textured art paper — not a poster
- Direct from the publisher — no middlemen
- Printed in-house in Cornwall
- Free UK delivery — international shipping available
- Produced to meet — and often exceed — museum-quality standards
Size
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Unlike most online offerings, our maps are produced entirely in-house, not outsourced to print-on-demand or drop-shipping services. This allows complete control over quality while offering better value. Each map begins with a high-resolution original, carefully enhanced and printed to order using archival papers and pigment inks for exceptional clarity, depth, and longevity. Every piece is personally overseen — no map leaves our workshop unless it is of a quality we would be proud to display ourselves.
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Paper choice is essential to the authenticity of our maps. We use specially sourced 190gsm paper made in the UK from pure materials and traditionally pressed with natural woollen felts. This process creates a subtle, randomly textured surface that closely resembles an original antique document. Likewise the use of premium quality ink fully saturates the paper, producing remarkable clarity, depth, and historical character. Colour fastness and sharpness will remain good for in excess of 100 years!
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Historical Background
Abraham Ortelius’s Argonautica belongs to the Parergon, his companion atlas of ancient geography. Rather than charting a contemporary political landscape, it maps the places associated with Jason’s legendary expedition in search of the Golden Fleece. The voyage is presented through the geography of classical writers, joining myth to named regions and seas.
Map Details
- Original title: Argonautica
- Cartographer: Abraham Ortelius
- Source: The Parergon, an atlas of ancient geography; this map is represented in its 1624 edition
- Area shown: The Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea regions associated with the Argonauts’ voyage
- Visible features: classical place names, inset regional maps and decorative cartouches
- Format: Fine art reproduction supplied unframed
The map traces a route from the Greek world through the Aegean and the straits leading towards the Black Sea, with Colchis at the far end of the expedition. Ortelius’s treatment is geographical as well as literary: names, coastlines and inset areas help the reader follow the journey across a landscape assembled from ancient sources.
The inset maps and ornamental cartouches distinguish this plate from a practical route chart. Ortelius made historical geography part of the same atlas culture as modern mapping, giving classical stories a spatial framework that could be studied and compared. The result is a carefully composed record of how Renaissance scholars interpreted the ancient world, rather than a literal account of a verifiable voyage.
Today, the sheet’s appeal lies in that combination of geography, classical learning and decorative engraving. Its names and route invite close reading, while the inset maps make the design rewarding to view as a print.
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