Willem Blaeu Map of Iceland "Tabula Islandia", circa 1640
Item Details
Member of the Netherlandish/Dutch school of cartography, Willem Janszoon Blaeu was a student of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. He was appointed as the map-maker of the Dutch East India Company, and his maps were featured in paintings by renowned Dutch Master Jan Vermeer, such as his 1657 oil painting titled Officer and Laughing Girl. His most famous work is considered to be Theatrum Orbis Terrarum sive Atlas Novus and many of his works were later published in Atlas Major, which is regarded as a masterpiece of the Golden Age of Netherlandish cartography.
| Medium on Ground | Engraving on laid paper with outline color |
| Geographical Area | Iceland |
| Period | 17th Century |
| Date | circa 1640 |
| Artist (Nationality, Lifespan) | Willem Janszoon Blaeu (Dutch, 1571 – 1638) after Joris Carolus (Dutch, 16th/17th century) |
| Title | Tabula Islandiae Auctore Georgio Carolo Flandro |
| Signature | Artist’s name noted in plate to the lower left corner |
| Portfolio and/or Book | From Le Theatre du Monde Ou Nouvel Atlas Contenant Les Chartes et Descriptions De tous les Pais de la terre Mis en lumiere Par Guillaume et Jean Blaeu. |
| Publisher | Willem and Johannes Blaeu, Amsterdam |
| Inscriptions – Front and/or Verso | Scale noted in French and German miles to the lower right |
| Additional Information | Includes depictions of the erupting volcano, Mt. Hekla, numerous fjords, and two sea monsters |
Condition
- slight fading to hand coloring; minor toning and a few scattered foxing marks; vertical crease through center of page; debris to mat under glass; scratches and chips throughout the frame; accretions and residue throughout surface of the verso frame to backing paper.
Dimensions
- measures frame; plate mark measures 19.75" W x 15.0" H.
Item #
ITMG384769
