Antique Map of Guinea by Blaeu (c.1638)

Description: Antique map titled 'Guinea'. Decorative map of West Africa, including numerous animals in the interior, sailing ships and several elegant cartouches. Both the map and the sea are shown with Rhumb lines. French text on verso.

Artists and Engravers: Willem Janszoon Blaeu was born 1571 in Alkmaar. He was trained from 1594 to 1596 by the famous danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. 1599 he went to Amsterdam and founded a business as globe maker. Later he started producing map and sea charts, including his first world map in 1605. His most famous work was the "Atlas Novus" or "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum sive Atlas Novus" of 1635, which was published until 1655 in total six volumes. After Blaeu's death in 1638 his sons Joan and Cornelis continued the businees and finished the "Atlas Novus" and started an even larger work, the "Atlas Maior", which reached 12 volumes. Cartographers: A. Metius and G. Freitag.