Oberpfalz

Article description

Hand-Colored Original Copperplate Engraving by Guijelmus Blaeu & Joan., depicting Oberpfalz. Published Amsterdam, Guiljelmus Blaeu, 1638. Sheet: 380 by 492mm (15 by 19 inches).. A fine and original hand-colored example of Blaeu's celebrated cartographic work, documenting this region of Germany with the precision and decorative artistry characteristic of the 16300s. Willem Blaeu (1571-1638) and his son Joan Blaeu (1596-1673) presided over the greatest cartographic publishing house of the Dutch Golden Age. Based in Amsterdam, the Blaeu firm was the official cartographer to the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Joan's monumental Atlas Maior (1662), in eleven volumes with 600 maps, was the most expensive book of the 17th century and the ultimate status symbol of the age. Blaeu maps are renowned for their exceptional quality, rich hand coloring, and sumptuous decorative borders. They are held in premier collections including the BibliothËque nationale de France, the Library of Congress, and the Nationaal Archief in The Hague. This original copperplate engraving, with original hand coloring depicts the region of Oberpfalz, published in Amsterdam, Guiljelmus Blaeu, 1638-45. The map features a decorative Baroque cartouche containing the title inscription. A distance scale is incorporated within the cartouche or alongside it. The map records the political and geographic boundaries of the region as understood in 1638-45, offering a fascinating window into the history of German territorial organization. Sheet measures 380 by 492mm (15 by 19 inches).. In good condition overall, with minor signs of age appropriate for a 17th-century engraving. Ready to frame.

Oberpfalz - Guijelmus Blaeu & Joan. ∑ Hand-Colored Original Copperplate Engraving ∑ Amsterdam 1638