Art

An attractive map of Kent by the famous Dutch cartographer Blaeu. This English county map is highly decorative with figurative cartouches and heraldic family coats of arms as well as ships on the sea. The map is very detailed and gives many place names, smaller villages or settlements. Rivers, lakes, mountains and woods are also indicated. Jan Blaeu (1596-1673) was a son of a famous Dutch cartographer, Willem Janzoon Blaeu, and he shared his father's passion and continued his work. His Atlas Maior is one of the most extraordinary work 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 Jan were considered to be the finest published anywhere in the seventeenth century. Size: 530 x 380 mm. Copper engraving. Original colour. Fine condition