Johannes Ruysch

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Ruysch's world map from 1507

Johannes Ruysch (* around 1460 in Utrecht , † 1533 in Cologne ), also known as Johann Ruijsch or Giovanni Ruisch, was a cartographer, astronomer, book illustrator and painter from today's Netherlands who created a well-known map of the world. This Ruysch world map is the second oldest representation of the New World in printed form. It was published in 1507 and was widely used due to its form of publication.

Possible participation in discovery trips

Little is known about his early life.

The map he created was added to an edition of Ptolemy's Geographia from 1507 ; this work had been rediscovered in late medieval Europe and was distributed in print. In a comment by the Italian Cölestine monk Marcus Beneventanus about the card, he writes (in translation):

Johannes Ruysch from Germany, according to my judgment a very precise geographer, and a very conscientious (moreover) sketching the globe, which I am obliged to help him with in this little work, told me that he is from the south of England and about as far as he had advanced to the 53rd, the northern parallel, and he sailed parallel to this to the west, to the shores of the east, holding a little northwards, perceived many islands.

Because of this, it was assumed that he might have accompanied John Cabot on his expeditions in 1487 or 1498. In view of the accumulation of Portuguese names on his map, there is also speculation that he might have traveled on a Portuguese ship from Bristol , for example .

Work in Cologne

In 1494 he wrote the work Admonitiones ad spiritualia trahentes , a treatise on mixing colors and painting on canvas. Ruysch probably entered the Benedictine monastery of St. Martin in Cologne as a secular clergyman around 1505 . Other sources give the year 1492.

Working in Rome

He later went to Rome, where Pope Julius II granted him a dispensation for his spiritual duties. He probably made the map there in 1507; he appears there on payrolls for the years 1508 and 1509, and seems to have specialized in decorative fine art painting. It is believed that he is identical to " The Flemish, called John ", a close friend of Raphael's , who temporarily lived with the former. It was also assumed that he assisted and advised Raphael in his "Astronomia" in the years 1509 to 1510 and other frescoes in the Stanza della segnatura .

Working in Lisbon

Then Ruysch went to the Portuguese court to work as an astronomer; possibly on the recommendation of Pope Julius II, who was friends with Manuel I of Portugal . That he could also have worked as a cartographer there seems less credible. The cartographic knowledge available in Portugal was clearly superior to his, which the Cantino-Planisphere and the Caveri-Map prove impressively. Nevertheless, as a “Renaissance talent”, astronomer and receptor of Ptolemy's ancient geographical knowledge , he will have aroused the king's interest and enriched his court. He was also one of the first to take the curvature of the earth into account when making maps. The potential in this was certainly recognized in Portugal as possibly helpful for the Portuguese discoveries.

Last years

Ruysch returned to the Sankt Martin monastery , where he spent the end of his life. He was given a room that was directly adjacent to the library of the monastery. In the monastery he also created an astronomical wall painting, now lost, which illustrates the days, months (moon phases) and planetary constellations. When he died in the monastery in 1533, he had reached a considerable age for that time. He left behind a large number of astronomical devices that he had made himself.

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Johannes Ruysch  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ JM Pasachoff and RJM Olson: Moon-struck: artists rediscover nature and observe. In: Earth, Moon, and Planets. Vol. 85-86, 1999, pp. 321-323
  2. ↑ a b Wikisource: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) / John Ruysch
personal data
SURNAME Ruysch, Johannes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ruijsch, Johann; Ruisch, Giovanni
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch cartographer, astronomer, book illustrator and painter
DATE OF BIRTH around 1460
PLACE OF BIRTH Utrecht
DATE OF DEATH 1533
Place of death Cologne