1650 BLAEU, W. - Macedonia, Epirus et Achaia.

Nice map of northern Greece with the southern parts of present day Macedonia and Albania. Includes the region of Athens. Strapwork title cartouche and Spanish text on verso.

The atlas Maior was printed only in small numbers, the Spanish text edition is extremely rare. The Spanish edition was never completed. When fire destroyed the Blaeu printing house at the Gravenstraat in Amsterdam in 1672, the final volume was in the press and consequently lost.

The Atlas Maior is the epitome of decades of achievement by the Blaeu family. Published in five languages (Latin, Dutch, French, German and Spanish) from 1662, it grew to eleven or twelve volumes in its most comprehensive editions, and was as Koeman observes a "costly atlas . . . Exclusively designed for those members of the patriciate who could command both the material and intellectual resources that were needed to buy and appreciate it". Joan's father, Willem Blaeu, commenced publication of his new world atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, also referred to as the Atlas Novus, initially in two volumes, published in four languages. After succeeding his father, Joan Blaeu progressively expanded the Atlas Novus to six volumes by 1655, and this formed the first half the Atlas Maior.

The rare Spanish edition of the Atlas Maior occupies an extraordinary place within the Blaeu epic. In contrast to the editions in other languages, its volumes were printed serially over fifteen years, printed in more limited quantity, bore different titles, and were not numbered. The genesis of this project came with the decision to produce the Spanish Atlas Nuevo, with the volume relating to Scotland first published in 1657, and that on China the following year.
In 1659 the volumes relating to Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and England were produced, along with second editions of the two volumes already published. Even before Joan Blaeu had made preparations to publish the Atlas Maior in other languages, he decided to turn the extant volumes of the Atlas Nuevo into the first five volumes of the Atlas Mayor. The long process of production meant that there were variations in title and imprint, as well as the collation of specific volumes.
The volume on Spain was the last to be printed, before a fire which broke out in Blaeu's Gravenstraat workshop on the night of 22-23 February, 1672. It destroyed many of the original copperplates and printed sheets for the Atlas Mayor, and led to production of the projected eleventh volume, relating to Asia, Africa and America, being abandoned.

The Atlas Mayor (the Spanish edition of the Atlas Maior) is the rarest edition of what De la Fontaine Verwey called "the greatest and finest atlas ever published". Van der Krogt locates only four institutional copies, printed in 1672 or earlier, with at least this degree of completeness. According to ABPC, only three copies including the present one have appeared at auction in the last thirty years.

Koeman I, BL 60A (pp. 271-291), cf. A. Berkhemer, 'De Spaanse Atlas Mayor van Blaeu: nieuwe gegevens', in Caert-Thresoor 16 (1997) 3, pp. 71-76, H. De la Fontaine Verwey, The 'Spanish Blaeu,' in Quaerendo 11 (1981), pp. 83-94.

Read more about Joan Blaeu and his Atlas Maior [+]

Willem Jansz. Blaeu (1571 - 1638)

In his second marriage with Stijntge. Willem Jansz Blaeu was born in 1571. We do not know whether he was born at Alkmaar or Uitgeest.

At an early age, he went to Amsterdam to learn the trade of hearing. But Willem Jansz. Blaeu did not like this work very much, as he was more inclined to mathematics. During this period, he met Adriaan Anthonisz (1541-1620), a surveyor, astronomer, mathematician, military engineer, and fortifications superintendent of the Dutch Republic. This enthusiast for the liberal arts was the father of the better-known Adriaan Metius, also born in 1571, who later became Blaeu’s scientific adviser. At 23, Blaeu moved to Amsterdam to learn the ins and outs of the herring trade from his family.

Blaeu lived on the Island of Hven for two years, during the winter of 1595/1596, at Tycho Brahe's observatory in Uraniborg. The celebrated Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), demanded a high standard of his pupils. He invited some; he undoubtedly took on others on special recommendation. We may, therefore, presume that the young Blaeu had reached a high standard of education and technical skill since he was considered worthy to become a pupil of the great astronomer.

After returning to the Netherlands, he spent several years in Alkmaar applying himself to astronomy. Very little is known about his stay there, but he married Marretie, or Maertgen Cornelisdr of Uitgeest, probably in 1597. His eldest son, Joan, was also born there. On 21 February 1598, Blaeu observed a lunar eclipse from Alkmaar, while Tycho Brahe simultaneously observed it in Wandsbeck near Hamburg. They observed the eclipse to determine the difference in longitude between the two places.

While in Alkmaar, he made a 34 cm celestial globe for Adriaan Anthonisz based on Tycho Brahe’s new but unpublished star catalog. The globe was published in 1597/1598 and was masterfully engraved by Jan Saenredam, a pupil of Hendrick Goltzius and father of Pieter Jansz Saenredam, the famous painter of church interiors.

The production of globes was Blaeu’s primary activity at the start of his career, and to set himself apart from the many others called Willem Jansz he dubbed himself ‘Willem Jansz Globi’ or ‘Geloobmaker’. Blaeu followed the tradition of creating globes in pairs: a terrestrial globe and a celestial globe.

AMSTERDAM
Willem Jansz moved to Amsterdam with his family around 1598/1599, and opened a shop selling celestial and terrestrial globes, maps, and astronomical instruments. The great voyages of discovery advanced navigation, and a pressing need for astronomical instruments emerged to determine ships' positions at sea. Blaeu had enjoyed excellent training as an instrument maker under Tycho Brahe. He shows considerable interest in maritime instruments in his sea atlases and illustrates or reproduces them with movable diagrams.

In 1605, he moved to new premises on the Damrak, where most of Amsterdam's booksellers and mapmakers had congregated. The building was called In de Vergulde Sonnewyser (In the Gilded Sundial) and here he also set up a printing shop and publishing house. He first published works on cartography and navigation, and by 1608 he had already published a fine world map and a popular marine atlas. His early works include a globe of 1599, maps of European countries and a world map in 1604-1608.

Blaeu’s early interest in navigation led to his first pilot guide, the Nieuw graetbouck. He occupies an essential position in the history of early Dutch pilot guides. His famous predecessor for describing eastern, western and northern navigation was Lucas Jansz Waghenaer. Blaeu issued two pilot guides: Het licht der Zee-vaert (first edition 1609), which firmly established his reputation as a maritime cartographer, and Zeespiegel (first edition 1623), both of which were reprinted several times.

The voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries sparked an insatiable interest in cartography. They also advanced navigation, and a pressing need for astronomical instruments emerged to determine ships' positions at sea. The newly discovered territories offered trade opportunities, and sailors needed to know not only how to reach them but also how to return home safely. Knowledge increased with every voyage, and maps became more accurate. As new opportunities unfolded, demand for good maps increased.
Beyond charts used for navigation, more people became interested in maps. They wanted to satisfy their curiosity about new countries, even if only on paper. People also used maps to advertise their status, promote a better understanding of history or politics, or serve as a substitute for paintings.

Willem Jansz was not the only map and globe publisher in Amsterdam. When Cornelis Claesz (1546/47-1609) and Jodocus Hondius the Elder (1563-1612), both originally from the southern Netherlands, set up their business, they had already made a name for themselves. After Claesz’s death, Willem Jansz acquired much of his estate, strengthening his position as a map publisher. However, he had fierce competition from his neighbor Jan Jansz, or Johannes Janssonius, another mapmaker, bookseller and publisher who took the premises next door to Blaeu on Damrak.
Willem Jansz Latinised his name to (Guilelmus) Janssonius, following the general custom, which caused confusion and Jan Jansz later exploited it. In 1621, Willem Jansz changed his name and chose his grandfather's name, ‘Blauwe Willem’ (Blue William), as his surname. From then on, he called himself Willem (Jansz) Blaeu and sometimes added the Latinised form ‘Caesius’ (bluish-grey) to his imprints.

BLAEU'S MAPS, ATLAS & GLOBE PRODUCTION
At his start, Blaeu published several separate sheet maps in folio format. Many have figured borders. All are extremely rare. A sample is the following map of Germany, published in 1609. Germanae post omnes in hac forma editiones exactissima locupletissimaq. descriptio. A border on the top represents the seven Electors and the Emperor on his throne.

Willem Blaeu's wall maps are among the most influential and artistically accomplished masterpieces of the Baroque era of cartography. The publication of his first set of wall maps in 1608 marked the beginning of his rise to preeminence in the highly competitive global map market. Blaeu published several wall maps printed on parchment or paper. All editions of Blaeu's wall maps are extreme rarities.
Using maps as wall hangings in contemporary Dutch houses went beyond the desire for cartographic information. Maps were also used to express status, to promote a better understanding of history or politics or to take the place of paintings. 

ATLASES & NAVIGATION
Blaeu devoted attention to navigation needs early in his career. His first publication in this field was his Nieuw graetbouck, and no copy has been found to this day. In the history of early Dutch pilot guides, Blaeu's work takes a crucial place. His famous predecessor for the description of the Eastern, Western and Northern navigation was Lucas Jansz. Waghenaer. Blaeu issued two pilot guides, named Het licht der Zee-vaert (first edition 1609) and Zeespiegel (first edition 1623). The works were republished several times. In 1621, Janssonius published a plagiarised copy of Blaeu’s pilot guide Het licht der Zee-vaert. He did so with impunity because Blaeu’s copyright had expired. Blaeu then decided to compete with his rival Janssonius and his brother-in-law Henricus Hondius (1597 - 1651) in atlas production, where the latter held a monopoly with the Mercator/Hondius/Janssonius atlases. Atlantis Appendix Blaeu's publication of land atlases came late. From early on, Willem Jansz. Blaeu aimed to publish an atlas to compete with the Hondius-Jansson Atlas. By 1630, he had published at least 17 folio-size maps. In 1630, Blaeu realized his plan after acquiring 37 copper plates of the atlas maps from Jodocus Hondius II. 

He added these to his own collection and published the Atlantis Appendix, which contained 60 maps. This publication sparked a new trend in Amsterdam atlas production, characterized by competition and increased map output. Blaeu then began planning a major atlas that would include the most up-to-date maps of the entire world.

Theatrum orbis Terrarum, 1634 Blaeu's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1634).In 1633, partly due to aggressive competition by Hondius-Janssonius, Blaeu announced his intention to publish a new 'Novus Atlas' in two volumes. According to Gunter Schilder, correspondence between Blaeu and Wilhelm Schickhard, indicated that Blaeu intended to complete the atlas that same year. Blaeu's intention to publish a new 'International edition' of a world atlas is mentioned on February 11th, 1634 in an Amsterdam newspaper. "At Amsterdam is now being printed by Willem Jansz Blaeu the large book of maps, the Atlas, in four languages: Latin, French, German and Dutch. The German edition will appear around Easter, the Dutch and French in May, or early June at the latest, and the Latin shortly thereafter. All editions on very fine paper, completely renewed with newly engraved copperplates and new, comprehensive descriptions." Although Blaeu's newspaper announcement early in 1634 stated that the atlas was 'now beining printed', only the German edition of the atlas was completed in that year, though not in its final form. The other editions all have a 1635 publication date. The atlas was published in German (10th March 1634), Latin (13th April 1635), Dutch (22nd April 1635), and French (1st July 1635). Blaeu's plans were ambitious. In the preface to the 1636 German edition, he writes: "Our intention is to describe the entire world, that is the heavens and the earth, in several volumes like these two, of which two more of the earth will shortly follow". But Willem Jansz. Blaeu did not live to see the other two volumes he had prepared issued. These two volumes appeared in 1640 (Italy) and 1645 (England).

GLOBES 

Producing globes was also a significant and lucrative part of the business. In the second half of the seventeenth century, after acquiring the copper plates of all rival firms, Blaeu became Amsterdam's sole globe producer. Blaeu produced his globes in pairs: a terrestrial and a celestial globe. In 1599, Blaeu published his first terrestrial globe, 34 cm in diameter. In 1602, Blaeu produced a small 9-inch (23,5 cm) globe, which he dedicated to the States of Holland, Zeeland, and West-Friesland. Blaeu's 68 cm globes were made in response to the 53 cm pair the Hondius firm issued in 1613. They announced their preparation in 1614, and when they finished in 1616, they presented them to the States-General, which awarded an honorarium of 50 guilders. They remained the largest globes in production for over 70 years, until Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (1650-1717) issued his 110 cm pair in 1688.

Beyond his work as a publisher, Blaeu continued his scientific pursuits. He used his findings to improve his maps and guides, thereby strengthening each discipline. His expertise was recognized when the Dutch East India Company (VOC) Amsterdam chamber appointed him official cartographer and examiner of navigating officers in 1633. Amsterdam was one of Europe's wealthiest trading cities and a center for banking and the diamond trade. The VOC (1602-1798) contributed significantly to the Dutch Republic's wealth and prosperity, and Blaeu’s prestigious appointment firmly established his reputation in the highly competitive world of Dutch mapmakers. As official cartographer for the VOC and the Dutch West India Company (WIC; 1621-1792), Blaeu had the finest craftsmen at his disposal, and the quality of his work continued to improve. The artists who drew and colored the maps usually worked on the premises, which meant their work was under constant supervision.

V.O.C.
Willem was appointed cartographer to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1633. During this period, Amsterdam was one of Europe's wealthiest trading cities and a center for banking and the diamond trade. The VOC contributed significantly to the wealth and prosperity of the United Netherlands, and Blaeu's prestigious appointment firmly established his reputation within the highly competitive field of Dutch mapmakers.

W.I.C.
He became the appointed cartographer for the West Indian Company (W.I.C.), for whom he made his West Indische Pascaert. The largest map printed on vellum at the time.