Namurcum Comitatus Auctore Iohann. Surhonio.

Article description

Original antique copper engraving, hand coloured when published, depicting Namur. Published by J. Blaeu., Amsterdam, 1666. Sheet: 412 by 518mm (16 by 20 inches).. A fine decorative example of antique cartography by Guijelmus Blaeu & Joan, rich in period detail and historical significance. Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571–1638) and his son Joan Blaeu (1596–1673) ran the most celebrated cartographic publishing house of the Dutch Golden Age. Joan Blaeu's Atlas Maior (1662–1665), published in eleven to twelve volumes depending on language edition, was the largest and most expensive book of the seventeenth century — containing some 600 maps engraved to the highest standards. Joan Blaeu served as Official Cartographer to the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Blaeu maps are the most sought-after antique maps in the collector market, prized for their superb engraving, sumptuous hand colour, and the prestige of the Blaeu name. Decorative map of the riverside town of Namur. At the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, this map is based on the once secret map of Jacques Surhon (1555). Magnificent title in the lower right and mileage scale cartouche in the upper left. A third cartouche has a man standing next to a large compass. In good condition for its age (published 1666). Colours well preserved. Some age-toning and minor imperfections consistent with a document of this antiquity. A condition report is available on request.

Guijelmus Blaeu & Joan – Namurcum Comitatus Auctore Iohann. Surhonio. · Original Antique Copper Engraving, Hand Coloured · J. Blaeu. · Amsterdam 1666