Johannes le Clerc (1657-1736; alternatively Johannes Clericus) was a noted historian of the bible and classical period. Born in Geneva, he settled in Amsterdam, where he composed a series of histories. The most famous of these is his Atlas Antiquus, 1705, an atlas of the biblical and classical periods, illustrated with 89 maps, in imitation of Ortelius’ Parergon, with maps copied from those by the Sanson family, Philippe de la Rue, Pierre Duval and others.
Among the most famous of them is the map of the Americas, positing that continent as the location of the legendary Atlantis.
Of the many classical atlases, this is the largest in map numbers and format, and closest to rivalling Ortelius’ in quality of engraving, production and colouring, while being considerably scarcer.
Le Clerc’s Atlas Antiquus was first published in 1705. Pieter Mortier’s heirs, his son Cornelis Mortier and son-in-law Johannes Covens, took over the business in 1721, and proceeded to reprint his different atlases.
This second edition of the Atlas Antiquus has Pieter Mortier’s imprint replaced by that of the successor firm, Covens and Mortier, with plate numbers inserted throughout.
The second edition is the scarcer of the two; indeed, Koeman only described this edition in the footnotes appended to his collation of the First Edition.
References: Koeman, III, Mor 4, notes; Shirley, T.CLER-1c.
