The Catalan Atlas of 1375 stands as the most definitive surviving work attributed to the workshop of Jehuda Cresques and his father, Cresques Abraham. Operating within the Crown of Aragon, this illustrator and cartographer produced highly sought-after nautical charts that defined the geographic understanding of the Mediterranean world during the late fourteenth century.
Early Career and Majorcan Cartography
Born in 1350 on the island of Mallorca, Jehuda Cresques followed his father into the specialized craft of mapmaking. As a member of the Jewish community in Majorca, he contributed to the development of the Majorcan cartographic school. His expertise in nautical illustration allowed him to secure high-status commissions, including a map purchased by John I of Aragon in 1390 for a price of 60 livres and 8 sous.
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The year 1391 marked a significant turning point in the cartographer's life due to the Aragonese persecutions. Under duress, he underwent a forced conversion to Christianity. Following this event, he adopted the name Jaume Riba, also rendered as Jacobus Ribus in Latin records. Despite this social and religious transition, he remained a prominent figure in his home region, identified by locals by titles such as the compass Jew or the map Jew.
Historical Debates on Legacy
For nearly a century, historians frequently identified the cartographer as Mestre Jacome, a figure reportedly recruited by Prince Henry the Navigator to train Portuguese map-makers in the 1420s. This connection was popularized by Gonzalo de Reparaz in 1930. However, modern research involving primary documentation indicates that Jehuda Cresques died in 1410 in Barcelona. Consequently, recent scholarship refutes his involvement in the Portuguese school, suggesting the Mestre Jacome title refers to an unidentified contemporary.
Fast facts
- Born: 1350, Mallorca
- Died: 1410, Barcelona
- Citizenship: Crown of Aragon
- Occupations: Illustrator, cartographer
- Known alias: Jaume Riba
- Language: Catalan
Questions readers ask
Did Jehuda Cresques work in Portugal?
While long hypothesized by historians, the timeline of his death in 1410 makes it impossible for him to have been the Mestre Jacome who served Prince Henry the Navigator during the 1420s.
What is his most famous work?
He and his father, Cresques Abraham, are considered the probable authors of the 1375 Catalan Atlas.
Achievements
- Recorded as cartographer and illustrator
