Self-Made Map: Cartographic Writing in Early Modern France - Hardcover

Conley, Tom

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0816627002 ISBN 13: 9780816627004

Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press, 1996

Synopsis

The self-made map argues that during the Renaissance in France a "new cartographic impulse" affected both the "graphic and imaginary forms of literature." In this wide-ranging and fascinating work, Tom Conley demonstrates that as maps were plotted during this period, a new sense of self emerged, one defined in part by the relationship of the self to space.
Conley traces the explosion of interest in mapmaking that occurred with the discovery of the New World, and discusses the commensurate rise of what he defines as cartographic writing - writing that "holds, penetrates, delineates, and explores space." Considering the works of such writers as Rabelais, Montaigne, and Descartes, Conley provides a "navigation" through the printed page, revealing the emerging values of Renaissance France.
Conley also exposes the ideological exercise inherent in mapmaking, arguing that Renaissance cartography is inseparably bound up with the politics of the era. He undertakes close readings of maps and illustrations, discussing the necessity of viewing Renaissance maps in the context of their typographic layout, graphic reproduction, and literary and ideological import.

About this title

About the Author

Tom Conley is professor of French at Harvard University.

Review

“This book is a formidable display of interdisciplinary learning; it offers close and provocative new readings of works by writers unfamiliar and familiar.” —Modern Language Quarterly

“Relating cartography to early modern self-fashioning, Conley provides the concept of ‘the self-made map’ with an extensive graphic material framework that promises to reshape how his readers see early-modern books and maps as material signifiers of self and nation.” —Tim Murray, Cornell University

“Conley has written an interesting book, eclectic in scope, concerning the impact of a new cartographic impulse on literature during the Renaissance in France. . . . The book is handsomely produced and contains numerous illustrations . . . A meaningful addition to the history of cartography.” —Choice

Edition details

• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0816627002
• ISBN 13: 9780816627004
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 392