Title Page for “Atlas Novus (New Atlas)”

The page functions as a decorative frontispiece for a collection of maps, featuring elaborate ornamental borders and typographic elements that announce the title *Atlas Novus*. Its ornamental richness reflects the prestige associated with geographic knowledge in the early eighteenth century, positioning the atlas as a scholarly and aesthetic object.

De Hooghe employed both etching—where acid bites lines into a metal plate—and engraving, which involves cutting lines directly with a burin. The interplay of these methods yields fine linear detail and varied tonal depth, characteristic of Dutch printmaking at the turn of the century. The laid paper surface enhances the texture of the intricate designs.

Created around 1700, the title page remained unpublished until the atlas’s release in 1730, illustrating the lengthy production cycles of large cartographic projects. The print eventually entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as an example of early modern print culture.