Cornelis de Jode

Who was Cornelis de Jode?

Cornelis de Jode was a cartographer, engraver and publisher from Antwerp. He was the son of Gerard de Jode, also a cartographer. Cornelis studied science at Academy of Douai

When his father died in 1591, Cornelis de Jode took over the work on his father's uncompleted altas, which he eventually published in 1593 as Speculum Orbis Terrae . Despite that contemporary scholars consider many of de Jode's maps to be superior both in detail and style to those of the competing atlas of the time Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Ortelius, de Jode's atlas never sold well.

After his death, the engraving plates were sold to J. B. Vrients, and the complete work was not published again.

The known world from Speculum Orbis Terrae, 1593.

Map of the Northern hemisphere, also from Speculum Orbis Terrae, 1593. Note the unusual perspective from a position above the north pole.

The Southern hemisphere. Color print from copper engraving.