Biographies of old masters index F to J.

Fer, Nicholas de (1646-1720)

Nicholas De Fer took over the business of his father Antoine. De Fer, a French cartographer, geographer, engraver and publisher, produced over 600 sheet maps, wall maps. His maps were prized for their decorative qualities rather than the accuracy of their geography. He was appointed to be a Geographer to the King. Among his works are also several atlases. Some atlases are 'France Triomphante' in 1693, 'Forces de L’Europe' in 1696, 'Atlas Curieux' in 1705 and 'Atlas Royal'.
Nicolas de Fer died in 1720.

Fouquet, Pierre (1729-1800)

Pierre Fouquet, born in 1729, was an artist and print dealer. Fouquet Jr. decided to publish a series of views of Amsterdam that would give an accurate and detailed picture of the city at that moment in time, because in his opinion the plates of Commelin were outdated and other known prints not accurate. Fouquet discovered a collection of original drawings, mainly by Schouten, J. de Beyer and Reinier Vinkeles. The result was ‘Atlas van Fouquet', or ‘Afbeeldingen van de Wyd-Vermaarde Koopstad Amsterdam’ (1760-1783). It was a great success and for many years the series was re-issued with revised prints or new additions. The Atlas of Fouquet grew out to be one of the most beautiful print series of Amsterdam , showing the city when it was still pure and could boast so many monumental buildings and houses. Fouquet died in 1800.

Guicciardini, Lodovico (1521-1589)

Guicciardini was an Italian merchant and historian born in Florence . He was a nephew of the famous politician and historian writer Francesco Guicciardini who wrote 'La historia di Italia'. In 1541 Lodovico arrived in Antwerp to work with his uncle. Lodovico Guicciardini became most famous because of his writings about the Netherlands and Belgium in his book: 'Descrittione di tutti i Paesi Bassi, altrimenti detti Germania inferiore' (description of the Low Countries'), published in Italian language from 1567. His books were beautifully illustrated with maps of regions, towns and cities of the Low countries . His work was translated in German, Dutch and English and became very popular in the 16th and 17th century. He wrote a few more works and landed in jail because of political matters. He stayed until his death in Antwerp . Lodovico Guicciardini ended as a poor man. He died in 1589.

Francois Halma (1653-1722)

Francois Halma was a Dutch publisher and bookseller of Utrecht , Amsterdam and Leeuwarden . Halma was born in 1653 at Langerak as a son of clergyman Reinier Jorisz Halma of Utrecht . He first established business in Utrecht in 1674; later he moved to Amsterdam 1699-1710 and finally settled in Leeuwarden where he died on his birthday in 1722.

Hooghe, Romeyn de (1645 - 1708)

Romeyn de Hooghe painted, engraved, sculpted, designed medals, taught drawing school,bought and sold art as a dealer. He was born in Amsterdam in 1645 and worked there until c.1680-1682.
For several Dutch provinces, he created interior architectural paintings and other works. During the 1690's he made sculptures for the palace of Het Loo (1689-1692), designed and etched triumphal arches and medals for William III's entry into the Hague (1691) and designed the Haarlem market festival decorations for the peace celebration after the capture of Namur (1695). He was well-educated. De Hooghe documented the news of his time and in addition he illustrated hundreds of scientific, political and religious books. He etched allegories and mythological scenes, portraits, caricatures, political satires, historical subjects, landscapes, topographical views (especially of Dutch cities), battle scenes, genre scenes, title pages, and book illustrations. His lively style displayed the baroque fashion for spectacular and allegorical fantasy. Romeyn de Hooghe was the most significant and prolific Dutch engraver in the second half of the seventeenth century. In his prints he often combined contemporary personalities with allegorical figures. De Hooghe died in 1708 (Haarlem).

Homann, Johann Baptist (1663-1724)

Johann Baptist Homann was a German cartographer who set up his own publishing company in 1702. It was the most successful map publishing company of the 18th century. After publishing his first atlas in 1707 he became a member of the Berlin Academy of Sciences. In 1715 Homann was appointed to be Imperial Geographer of the Holy Roman Empire . In 1716 Homann published his masterpiece 'Grosser Atlas ueber die ganze Welt' (Grand Atlas of all the World). John Baptist Homann died in 1724 (Nuremberg). The company was taken over by his son Johann Christoph Homann He continued printing the maps of his father but soon started to publish under his own name town maps, regional and territory maps. After his death his brother-in-law Johann Georg Ebersberger and to his former fellow student Michael Franz continued the company under the name 'Homännische Erben / Homanni Heredes' (Homann Heirs)

Homann maps

Hondius Family

Jodocus Hondius (the elder) was born in Flanders and was engraver as well as cartographer. In 1584 he fled to London where he engraved maps for ‘The Mariner's Mirror' (in Dutch:Spiegel der Zeevaerdt). After some years he settled in Amsterdam . In 1604 he purchased the plates of Gerard Mercator's Atlas from Mercator's grandson. Hondius re-published Mercator's work with 36 additional maps, including several produced by himself and gave Mercator full credit as the author. He published enlarged editions from 1606 in many languages. These atlases have become known as the Mercator/Hondius series. A pocket atlas (‘Atlas Minor’) followed (re-engraved). After the death of Jodocus Hondius the Elder in 1612 the work was carried on by his widow and sons. (Jodocus II and Henricus). Later there was a partnership with Jan Janson and after 1633 his name was on the atlases. In order of Speed. Hondius also engraved the plates for the maps in 'The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine' in the years between 1605 and 1610.
Jodocus Hondius died in 1612.

Isle, Guillaume de l'(1675-1726)

Guillaume de L’Isle ( or Delisle ) was a French cartographer who adopted entirely new principals in cartography. Delisle recognized that the new methods of measuring by scale and of marking places were very valuable for cartography. Guillaume Delisle's first works were his World map and his map of of the Continents, both published in 1700. In 1702 he was elected member of the 'Academie Royale des Sciences' and in 1718 he became ‘Premier Geographer du Roi’. Delisle is called the founder of modern cartography. His maps of the newly explored parts of the world were very accurate. His maps were re-published long after his death in 1726. Business was continued by his nephew Philippe Buache.

Jonston, Joannis (1603-1675)

Joannis Jonston was from Scottish origin but born in Poland . He travelled a lot in Germany, Scotland , England and Holland . He obtained M.D. degrees at Cambridge and Leiden ( Netherlands ), where he later practiced medicine. After visiting the universities of France and Italy he returned home in 1636 and settled in Leszno. In 1642 he did become, for a short while, professor of medicine at Frankfurt . J. Jonston wrote on history, philosophy, medicine and natural science. In 1642 his 'Idea universae medicinae practicae' was published. Theatrum universale historiae naturalis was published in 1650-1653 with plates after his drawings engraved by Mattias Merian depicting the entire range of animal species. The only Dutch translation ‘Naeukeurige Beschryving van de Natuur der Vier-voetige Dieren, Vissen en Bloedlooze Water-Dieren, Vogelen, Kronkel-Dieren, Slangen en Draken’ was published in 1660. Joannis Jonston died in 1675 in Poland.


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