Prominent Dutch cartographer and publisher Joan Blaeu portrayed hundreds of locations across the globe. From his studio just outside of Amsterdam, Blaeu published religious and philosophical texts, as well as atlases and maps of all sizes. As representative to the Dutch East India Company, Blaeu had access to thousands of maps and accounts of recent explorations, which he used as the basis for his own work. Blaeu's magnum opus, Atlas Major, contained 594 maps and more than 4,000 pages upon its initial publication in 1662. Depicting regions from Europe, Asia, and the Americas, Atlas Major was produced in several languages, including Dutch (9 volumes), Spanish (10 volumes), Latin (11 volumes), and French (12 volumes). After printing, Blaeu often sent the atlas to leading local craftsmen for finishing touches. Artist Dirk Janszoon van Santen typically provided watercolor and gilding to the black and white prints, and book binder Albertus Magnus bound many of the volumes. Atlas Major, from which many of the prints in this collection derive, quickly became the comprehensive standard for atlases.
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