INSULAE AMERICANAE IN OCEANO SEPTENTRIONALI, c.1638

Guiljelmus (Willem Jans Zoon) Blaeu, Amsterdam
Original pastel color, 15x20.75 inches

Blaeu's great map of the West Indies and surrounding lands epitomizes the Golden Age of Cartography in 17th-century Holland and the supremacy of the House of Blaeu. Three ornamental cartouches, three compass roses and five sailing ships contribute to the overall grace and beauty of this work, making it one of Blaeu's most dramatic maps. "Cartographically the map draws on the extremely rare map by Hessel Gerritsz, c.1631." (Burden 242.) French text on the verso is titled "Les Isles de l'Amerique." Excellent condition, faint browning.

$2,350 (MC011)