Francesco Rosselli
Encyclopedia
Francesco Rosselli was an Italian miniature painter, and important engraver of maps and old master print
s. He is described as a cartographer, although his contribution did not include any primary research and was probably limited to engraving, decorating and selling manuscript maps created by others. He created many important maps, including one of the first printed maps of the world to depict the Americas after Christopher Columbus
' voyages. The attribution of prints to him is the subject of debate, as different engraving styles are used. This may be the result of different artists in his workshop, or of his and his shop's ability to use different styles.
.
Rosselli painted miniatures in several of the most lavish manuscripts produced in 15th-century Florence, including copies of Ptolemy's Geographia and liturgical works for the city's cathedral. He may also have produced panel paintings. The so-called Tavola Strozzi, a view of the Bay of Naples depicting the return of the Aragon
ese fleet after the Battle of Ischia, has sometimes been attributed to his hand. Rosselli's pictorial engravings were heavily influenced by the paintings of his fellow Florentine Sandro Botticelli. Among his best-known works is a series of fifteen engravings of the Life of the Virgin
and Christ.
In the 1480s, Rosselli left his wife and children with his half-brother Cosimo
and left Florence for Hungary, because of debt according to his brother, where he made maps for the king of Hungary. Upon returning to Florence, he started a shop to sell his engravings. Rosselli may have been the engraver for some of the "new" maps in editions of Ptolemy's Geographia published in Florence in 1480-82. He was also recorded in Venice
in 1505 and 1508.
His shop also sold maps, and was the first known shop to market maps commercially. His two most famous maps date from 1506 and 1508. The 1506 Contarini-Rosselli map, his only signed and dated work, was the first printed map showing the New World. Rosselli's 1508 world map was the first map drawn on an oval projection. This map may have been sold in his shop. His 1508 map also depicted a Southern Continent
where Antarctic continent is, vaguely similar in general position to the Southern Continent on the Piri Reis map
of 1513, the Lopo Homem map of c. 1519, the Juan Vespucci map of 1524, and other early maps. However, the Antarctic continent was not discovered until the early 19th century. There are many maps from the 15th to the 18th century showing "Terra Australis
Incognita" ("unknown land in the south"), the continent that should have been there, according to the Greek philosophers from Pythagoras
onwards. They had worked out that the Earth was spherical, and had even calculated its diameter within a good degree of precision (Eratosthenes
, in the 3rd century BCE), and thought that, as there were lands in the northern hemisphere, there should be lands in the southern hemisphere too, lest the world be unbalanced.
Francesco's half-brother Cosimo was also an artist who, among his works, took part in the 1480s first decoration of the Sistine Chapel
.
Old master print
An old master print is a work of art produced by a printing process within the Western tradition . A date of about 1830 is usually taken as marking the end of the period whose prints are covered by this term. The main techniques concerned are woodcut, engraving and etching, although there are...
s. He is described as a cartographer, although his contribution did not include any primary research and was probably limited to engraving, decorating and selling manuscript maps created by others. He created many important maps, including one of the first printed maps of the world to depict the Americas after Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
' voyages. The attribution of prints to him is the subject of debate, as different engraving styles are used. This may be the result of different artists in his workshop, or of his and his shop's ability to use different styles.
Life
Rosselli was born in FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
Rosselli painted miniatures in several of the most lavish manuscripts produced in 15th-century Florence, including copies of Ptolemy's Geographia and liturgical works for the city's cathedral. He may also have produced panel paintings. The so-called Tavola Strozzi, a view of the Bay of Naples depicting the return of the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
ese fleet after the Battle of Ischia, has sometimes been attributed to his hand. Rosselli's pictorial engravings were heavily influenced by the paintings of his fellow Florentine Sandro Botticelli. Among his best-known works is a series of fifteen engravings of the Life of the Virgin
Life of the Virgin
The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the number of scenes shown varies greatly with the space...
and Christ.
In the 1480s, Rosselli left his wife and children with his half-brother Cosimo
Cosimo Rosselli
Cosimo Rosselli was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento, active mainly in his birthplace of Florence.-Biography:Born in Florence, at the age of fourteen he became a pupil of Neri di Bicci, and in 1460 he worked as assistant to his cousin Bernardo di Stefano Rosselli...
and left Florence for Hungary, because of debt according to his brother, where he made maps for the king of Hungary. Upon returning to Florence, he started a shop to sell his engravings. Rosselli may have been the engraver for some of the "new" maps in editions of Ptolemy's Geographia published in Florence in 1480-82. He was also recorded in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1505 and 1508.
His shop also sold maps, and was the first known shop to market maps commercially. His two most famous maps date from 1506 and 1508. The 1506 Contarini-Rosselli map, his only signed and dated work, was the first printed map showing the New World. Rosselli's 1508 world map was the first map drawn on an oval projection. This map may have been sold in his shop. His 1508 map also depicted a Southern Continent
Terra Australis
Terra Australis, Terra Australis Ignota or Terra Australis Incognita was a hypothesized continent appearing on European maps from the 15th to the 18th century...
where Antarctic continent is, vaguely similar in general position to the Southern Continent on the Piri Reis map
Piri Reis map
The Piri Reis map is a pre-modern world map compiled in 1513 from military intelligence by the Ottoman-Turkish admiral and cartographer Piri Reis. The half of the map that survives shows the western coasts of Europe and North Africa and the coast of Brazil with reasonable accuracy...
of 1513, the Lopo Homem map of c. 1519, the Juan Vespucci map of 1524, and other early maps. However, the Antarctic continent was not discovered until the early 19th century. There are many maps from the 15th to the 18th century showing "Terra Australis
Terra Australis
Terra Australis, Terra Australis Ignota or Terra Australis Incognita was a hypothesized continent appearing on European maps from the 15th to the 18th century...
Incognita" ("unknown land in the south"), the continent that should have been there, according to the Greek philosophers from Pythagoras
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
onwards. They had worked out that the Earth was spherical, and had even calculated its diameter within a good degree of precision (Eratosthenes
Eratosthenes
Eratosthenes of Cyrene was a Greek mathematician, poet, athlete, geographer, astronomer, and music theorist.He was the first person to use the word "geography" and invented the discipline of geography as we understand it...
, in the 3rd century BCE), and thought that, as there were lands in the northern hemisphere, there should be lands in the southern hemisphere too, lest the world be unbalanced.
Francesco's half-brother Cosimo was also an artist who, among his works, took part in the 1480s first decoration of the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
.