The image used above is from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Abraham Ortelius. This atlas was originally published in 1570 and is one of the most brilliant and innovative of all Renaissance books. It was the first true atlas in the modern sense of the word, and as such, it introduced an entirely new and standardized method for the study of geography. For the first time in one volume, all parts of the globe were treated in a comprehensive and uniform manner, and thus it presented as complete a picture as was then possible of the whole world. “Swaen Gallery“.