Antique Double Hemisphere World map, 1713

The 1713 double-hemisphere world map by Pierre van der Aa is a refined example of early-eighteenth-century Dutch cartographic publishing, produced at a moment when Leiden had become one of Europe’s most important centers for the dissemination of geographic knowledge. Van der Aa was not primarily an explorer-cartographer but a highly successful editor and publisher who reissued, updated, and elegantly recomposed the work of earlier mapmakers, transforming it into visually impressive atlases for a wealthy and educated clientele.

The map presents the world in the classic twin-hemisphere format, with the Eastern and Western Hemispheres placed side by side within richly engraved frames. This arrangement emphasizes the global scope of European exploration while preserving the traditional division between the Old World and the New. Coastlines are sharply engraved and hand-colored, and political boundaries are lightly tinted, allowing the viewer to distinguish empires and regions without overwhelming the geographic detail.

Geographically, the map reflects the transitional knowledge of the early Enlightenment. California is shown as an island, a persistent cartographic error that would survive for several more decades. Australia appears as “Terra Australis”, still partially speculative along its northern and western shores, while Antarctica is absent, replaced by conjectural southern lands. The interiors of Africa and North America are sparsely filled, revealing how European knowledge remained concentrated along coasts and river systems.

The decorative program is equally significant. Surrounding the hemispheres are allegorical figures, cherubs, globes, and instruments of navigation, linking geography with science, empire, and divine order. These embellishments were not mere ornament: they framed cartography as a disciplined, cosmological enterprise that supported trade, colonial expansion, and political authority.

Published in 1713, just after the Treaty of Utrecht, the map also resonates with a world being reshaped by imperial diplomacy. Van der Aa’s globe presents a planet increasingly divided into European spheres of influence, yet unified by the promise of rational mapping. In this way, the map stands as both a scientific artifact and a visual manifesto of Europe’s emerging global consciousness.

Find more maps of Pieter van der Aa