A very fine sea atlas including 27 beautifully colored sea charts, likely etched and engraved by the master Romeijn de Hooghe. The charts are in the upper right corner numbered in a contemporary hand 125- 152. The sea charts were often found as the second part to De Wit’s “Atlas”. Without title or date, but probably published after 1680 (cf. the description in Koeman IV, M. Wit 2).
The plates have lasted for a century or more after De Wit’s death, Louis Renard obtained and corrected the plates. After Renard, Reinier and Josua Ottens obtained the plates and printed charts from them for their edition of the Atlas de la Navigation in 1745. The latest edition seems to have been published in 1802 by the widow of Gerard Hulst van Keulen. Including amongst others a double hemisphere world map, a folding map of Europe, maps of the Arctic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, a polar chart etc.
The atlas contains one of the most decorative world maps of the seventeenth century. Australia is shown with the discoveries made by Tasman on his first and second voyages 1642-44. The VOC, having sent Tasman on two voyages, not only to chart the South Land but, importantly, to make contact with the natives and engage in trade, were disappointed with the lack of trading opportunities in the barren and inhospitable land. The post-Tasman shape of Australia depicted on maps remained unchanged until James Cook’s discovery and charting of the east coast in 1770.
Only a single New Zealand Coastline is shown, based on Tasman. California appears as an island, with no northwest coast of America shown. An early configuration of the Great Lakes is given, with two of the lakes open to the west.
The map is embellished by four large, lively allegorical scenes, representing the four elements. Fire is shown by war and destruction, air by the heavens, earth by harvesting and husbandry, and water by ships and a spouting whale. There are groups of figures between the hemispheres and on either side of the smaller polar maps. Tooley Maps, entry 444.
Romeijn De Hooghe was a famous Dutch artist employed by King William III. He was born in Amsterdam and worked there until c1680-1682, when he moved to Haarlem.
In 1662 De Hooghe was invited by Adam Frans van der Meulen (1632-1690) to Paris, where he etched the baptism of the Dauphin in 1668. There, he met King Jan III Sobieski of Poland and was knighted by him in 1675”.
De Hooghe “painted, engraved, sculpted, designed medals, enameled, taught drawing school, and bought and sold art as a dealer. During the 1690s, he made sculptures for the palace of Het Loo (1689-1692) and designed and etched triumphal arches and medals for William III’s entry into the Hague (1691). He designed the Haarlem market festival decorations for the peace celebration after the capture of Naumur (1695).
He is known for decorative borders on large-scale city maps, maps and book illustrations. He was an expressive master of physiognomy; and his original, lively style displayed the baroque fashion for spectacular and allegorical fantasy.
Romeyn de Hooghe was the most significant and prolific Netherlandish engraver in the second half of the seventeenth century” (Anne-Marie Schaaf, The Getty Research Institute, Research Library).