Atlas Maior of 1662

£120.00 BUY

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  • Publisher: Taschen UK
  • Catalogue: 133033
  • Size: 29x44cm
Joan Blaeu's exceptional Atlas Maior, completed in 1665, was the finest and most comprehensive baroque atlas. The original 11-volume Latin edition, containing 594 maps, put Blaeu ahead of his staunch competitor, mapmaker Johannes Janssonius, whose rivalry inspired Blaeu to produce a grandiose edition of the largest and most complete atlas to date. Covering Arctica, Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, Blaeu's Atlas Maior was a remarkable achievement and remains to this day one of history's finest examples of mapmaking.

This reprint is made from the National Library of Vienna's complete, colored, gold-heightened copy, thus assuring the best possible detail and quality. The book's introduction, by Peter van der Krogt of the University of Utrecht, discusses the historical and cultural context and significance of the atlas. He also provides detailed descriptions of the maps, allowing readers to fully appreciate Blaeu's masterwork.

Text in English, French and German.