SPAIN PORTUGAL GIBRALTAR 1646 BLAEU UNUSUAL ANTIQUE ORIGINAL MAP GERMAN EDITION

Description

SPAIN PORTUGAL GIBRALTAR 1646 BLAEU UNUSUAL ANTIQUE ORIGINAL MAP GERMAN EDITION
SPAIN PORTUGAL GIBRALTAR 1646 BLAEU UNUSUAL ANTIQUE ORIGINAL MAP GERMAN EDITION
Description
Regnorum Hispaniæ nova descriptio. Amstelodami Apud Guljelmum Blaeuw.
Description:
Striking and highly detailed
fine unusual 1646 Blaeu's copper engraved map of
the Iberian Peninsula. Covers Spain, Balearic Islands, Portugal, Gibraltar, a bit of North African coastlines and southern France. The map is filled with excellent topographic detail on cities, towns, villages, rivers, bays, reliefs and islands. Sailing ships, a seamonster and a large royal armorial adorn the map. Two strapwok cartouches include the title, topographic key and two mileage scales. German text on the verso.
Date:
1646 ( undated )
Dimension:
Paper size approx.:
cm 51,4 x 40,4
Condition:
Very strong and dark impression on good paper. Paper with chains and wiremarks. Map old original colored. Wide margins. Corner partially missing. Map browned. Small warmings affectintg the map, with minor loosing of the map and repaired on the verso. Small tears. Small waterstains. Small marginal holes. Map partially reinforced on the verso. Map folded. Conditions are as you can see in the images
.
Mapmaker:
Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571 - October 18, 1638), also known as Guillaume Blaeu, was a Dutch cartographer, globemaker, and astronomer active in Amsterdam during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Blaeu was born in Alkmaar, North Holland to a prosperous herring packing and trading family of Dutch Reformist faith. As a young man, he was sent to Amsterdam to apprentice in the family business, but he found the herring trade dull and instead worked for his cousin 'Hooft' as a carpenter and clerk. In 1595, he traveled to the small Swedish island of Hven to study astronomy under the Danish Enlightenment polymath Tycho Brahe. For six months he studied astronomy, cartography, instrument making, globe making, and geodesy. He returned to Alkmaar in 1596 to marry and for the birth of his first son, Johannes (Joan) Blaeu (1596 – 1673). Shortly thereafter, in 1598 or 1599, he relocated his family to Amsterdam where he founded the Blaeu firm as globe and instrument makers. Around this time, he also began issuing separate issue nautical charts and wall maps – which as we see from Vermeer's paintings were popular with Dutch merchants as decorative items – and invented the Dutch Printing Press. As a non-Calvinist Blaeu was a persona non grata to the ruling elite and so he partnered with Hessel Gerritsz to develop his business. In 1619, Blaeu arranged for Gerritsz to be appointed official cartographer to the VOC, an extremely lucrative position that that, in the slightly more liberal environment of the 1630s, he managed to see passed to his eldest son, Johannes. In 1633, he was also appointed official cartographer of the Dutch Republic. Blaeu's most significant work is his 1635 publication of the Theatrum orbis terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, one of the greatest atlases of all time. He died three years later, in 1638, passing the Blaeu firm on to his two sons, Cornelius (1616 - 1648) and Johannes Blaeu (September 23, 1596 - December 21, 1673). Under his sons, the firm continued to prosper until the 1672 Great Fire of Amsterdam destroyed their offices and most of their printing plates. Willem's most enduring legacy was most likely the VOC contract, which ultimately passed to Johannes' son, Johannes II, who held the position until 1617. As a hobbyist astronomer, Blaeu discovered the star now known as P. Cygni.
Joan (Johannes) Blaeu (September 23, 1596 - December 21, 1673) was a Dutch cartographer active in the 17th century. Joan was the son of Willem Janszoon Blaeu, founder of the Blaeu firm. Like his father Willem, Johannes was born in Alkmaar, North Holland. He studied Law, attaining a doctorate, before moving to Amsterdam to join the family mapmaking business. In 1633, Willem arranged for Johannes to take over Hessel Gerritsz's position as the official chartmaker of the Dutch East India Company, although little is known of his work for that organization, which was by contract and oath secretive. What is known is his work supplying the fabulously wealthy VOC with charts was exceedingly profitable. Where other cartographers often fell into financial ruin, the Blaeu firm thrived. It was most likely those profits that allowed the firm to publish the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, their most significant and best-known publication. When Willem Blaeu died in 1638, Johannes, along with his brother Cornelius Blaeu (1616 - 1648) took over the management of the Blaeu firm. In 1662, Joan and Cornelius produced a vastly expanded and updated work, the Atlas Novus, whose handful of editions ranged from 9 to an astonishing 12 volumes. Under the brothers' capable management, the firm continued to prosper until the 1672 Great Amsterdam Fire destroyed their offices and most of their printing plates. Johannes Blaeu, witnessing the destruction of his life's work, died in despondence the following year. He is buried in the Dutch Reformist cemetery of Westerkerk. Johannes Blaeu was survived by his son, also Johannes but commonly called Joan II, who inherited the family's VOC contract, for whom he compiled maps until 1712.
All of the maps we sell are ORIGINALS. We guarantee all of our maps to be authentic. We do our best to describe the condition of our maps as accurately as possible. Due to the age and type of paper, some imperfections are to be expected. Please examine the images provided carefully, and if you have any questions please ask and we will be happy to help.
A Certification of Authenticity ( COA ) can be issued on request
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Any map purchased from us may be returend for any reason for a full refund.
About:
Old Times
Rare Antiquarian Books & Maps Sellers
Our Firm was founded in 1983 and we are specialized on antiquarian works on paper concerning Antique Rare Maps, Atlases and Travel Books of all the World.
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All items sold by OLD TIMES are genuine and a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) will be happily supplied on request.
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Cesare Giannelli
OLD TIMES
RARE ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS & MAPS SELLERS
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