Antique Map of the Low Countries by Blaeu (c.1635)

Description: Antique map titled 'Novus XVII Inferioris Germaniae Provinciarum Typus'. Handsome detailed map of the Low Countries. With beautiful cartouches, coat of arms, compass rose, scale and many ships on the North Sea. Willem Blaeu published this map in 1608 as a wall map with figured borders. Later, in 1630, he needed a general map of the Netherlands for his first atlas, the Appendix, the decoration in the borders was sacrificed: the borders of the copper plates were cut off. It is one of the most decorative maps of present Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Still with the signature of "Willem Janszoon op't Water in de Vergulde Zonnewyzer." Spanish text on verso. Published circa 1635.

Artists and Engravers: The Blaeu firm was founded in 1596 by Willem Janzoon Blaeu (1571-1638). It was in this initial period, from 1596 to 1672, under the leadership of Willem Blaeu and with this assistance of his two talented sons Cornelius (1616-1648) and Johannis (1596-1673), that the firm was most active. Their greatest cartographic achievement was the publication of the magnificent multi-volume Atlas Major.