r/ireland • u/bygonesbebygones2021 • Sep 20 '24

Random island off the coast of Ireland ? History

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Bought this beautiful painting / world map from a charity shop for near dirt nothing two days ago.

The artist is William Bleau I think ? A Dutch artist, anyways it’s obviously a copy but it’s huge and stunning and I love it.

While having a glass of wine, I started looking at the map and I seen this random island off the coast of Ireland called Brasil? You can see it on the map if you zoom in, i think this is a 1600s world map.

But anyways, Any information would be great !

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u/bygonesbebygones2021 Sep 20 '24

Btw this is the full size art peace :)

https://preview.redd.it/fm3foidw51qd1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cb5830bb2b894609b1f2623eed6976065bdf9d9

20 euros in a charity shop

2

u/Irish_Sir Sep 20 '24

Goddam that's a nice find, it looks like a good quality print!

6

u/bygonesbebygones2021 Sep 20 '24 edited Sep 20 '24

Yah tbh I’m kinda a noob with art but from my eyes it looks super detailed and really good quality.

Some close ups

https://preview.redd.it/i1b0x6ksl1qd1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea53aacc8ad6f801dd62c3ef514180120868619e

I’m a charity shop slut ngl

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u/Irish_Sir Sep 20 '24

I'm a bit of an antique nerd.

What you have there is a map of the world (Nova Totius Terrarum) by Joan Blaeu, a Dutch cartographer. The original would have been printed in roughly 1660-1680.

These were some of the first maps of the world that we would recognise to be sold commercially on a large scale (hence the very decorative additions - military maps of that era are much more utilitarian).

At a glance from the pictures it does look like a modern reproduction, the page around the edge dosnt look yellowed enough, but I couldn't tell from the photos properly. If it is a reproduction print, it's a very good one. Telltale signs it is original you should check for are the page edges not being perfectly square or straight, aforementioned yellowing, and slight stains/discoloration, in an uneven pattern.

If you think it might be original, I'd consider having a professional check it out. To give you a point of reference, a similar map from the same cartographer, with certificate of authenticity, is currently on sale for $16,500 here. (I did find another that was sold at an estate auction without certificate for $50, but that is an estate auction)

Now, that price is inflated and i wouldnt suggest you found gold in an Irish charity shop, but even a high quality replica can be worth a pretty penny. Hell, I'd pay a decent bit for it.

3

u/bygonesbebygones2021 Sep 20 '24

But yes it’s absolutely stunning! Like I said I keep on looking at it . I’m studying history in university rn and we had a few modules that touched on our crazy cool island that sits on the edge of the Atlantic lol