Antartide continente del giorno
"This dramatic and colorful lithograph celebrates one of the great feats of exploration accomplished in the 20th century, namely the reaching of the South Pole. It was composed and printed in Italy, a product of the global nature of polar exploration. Reaching the South Pole, and the intense st...
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| Format: | Map |
| Language: | unknown |
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1956
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| Online Access: | https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~342489~90110624 https://media.davidrumsey.com/MediaManager/srvr?mediafile=/Size4/RUMSEY~8~1/199/15112000.jpg |
| Summary: | "This dramatic and colorful lithograph celebrates one of the great feats of exploration accomplished in the 20th century, namely the reaching of the South Pole. It was composed and printed in Italy, a product of the global nature of polar exploration. Reaching the South Pole, and the intense struggle between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen to accomplish it first, had become the stuff of legend: a story that enthralled and engaged people of all ages, across the world. The lithograph was initially issued in 1913, though this particular edition was printed in 1956. It measures a charming 46 x 56 cm (18 x 22 in) and is, in light of its stylish composition and dramatic execution, one those rare sheets that bridges the divide between map and artwork. The illustration is essentially composed of four images and a title, although the background coloring also contributes to the poster’s dramatic atmosphere. The primary image is a simple map of Antarctica that includes a number of labels, as well as flags to denote spheres of national interest. We shall return to this map shortly. The secondary images consist of two large vignettes depicting our heroes in action. In the upper left corner we see Amundsen and his team placing the Norwegian flag at the South Pole during their conquest of it on December 14th, 1911. The weather seems to be fair and the men are cheerfully celebrating their success. This contrasts sharply with the second image in the lower left corner, where we find Scott and his men braving an Antarctic blizzard and towing all of their equipment up and down the ice sheaths. The final vignette is perhaps the least symbolic, although the inclusion of a waddle of penguins (in this case, Adélie) always adds something special to a polar composition. Returning to the map itself, we are treated to a full outline of the icy continent. Major physiographic features, such as the Ross and Weddell Seas, Graham Land, and the Great Ice Barrier (today known as the Ross Ice Shelf) have been noted on the map, just as the ... |
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