Art

Highly decorative map centered on Valencia and extending south to Murcia and Orihuella and North to the Cenia by the famous Dutch cartographer Blaeu. Map embellished with sea monster, ships, rhumb lines emanating from compass rose and ornate title cartouche with the arms of Valencia. The map is very detailed and gives many place names, smaller villages or settlements. Dutch text to verso. Joan (John) Bleau (1596-1673) was a son of a famous Dutch cartographer, Willem Janzoon Bleau, and he shared his father's passion and continued his work. Joan Bleau's 'Atlas Maior' is one of the most extraordinary works within this category ever produced. It is known for its exquisite engraving, calligraphy and colouring as well as heraldic detail, pictorial work and the intricate cartouches, which all amounted to the appeal of this work. In fact it is argued that some of the maps produced by Joan were considered to be the finest published anywhere in the seventeenth century. Copper engraving. Original colour. Fine condition. Size: 50.5 x 38.5 cm. (20 x 15 inches)