The Furthest Shore: Images of Terra Australis from the Middle Ages to Captain Cook by William Eisler

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book near spine top and tail. Dust jacket has minor creasing at top.

The unknown and mysterious Great Southland, or Terra Australis, captured the European imagination for centuries before it became a documented fact.

This book traces the history of pictorial imagery associated with the 'Fifth Continent'. It discusses and presents imagery from all parts of the southern continent: Java, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, the South Pacific Islands and Tierra del Fuego as it evolved up to the Enlightenment.

Many European explorers had a passionate interest in depicting the plants, animals and native inhabitants of the southern world. The images associated with the search for the southern continent - paintings, hand-coloured maps, drawings, tapestries and artefacts - are discussed in the context of the link between art and exploration.

Beautifully illustrated with Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch and English images, this book is an exciting visual account of the construction of Terra Australis in the European imagination and as scientific fact. (book flap)

Table of Contents: