Belgium and the Netherlands: A Hand-colored 17th Century Map by Visscher
This is an original hand-colored 17th century map of Belgium by Nicolaus (Nicolas) Visscher II entitled "Belgium Foederatum emendate auctum et novissime editum", published in Amsterdam in 1678. The map shows the seven provinces comprising the Belgium federation or the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands or the Dutch Republic as it was also known. The republic was formed when an alliance of seven Dutch provinces in the Spanish Netherlands revolted against rule by Spain in 1579 (the Union of Utrecht) and declared their independence in 1581 (the Act of Abjuration). The seven provinces were Groningen, Frisia, Overijssel, Guelders, Utrecht, Holland and Zeeland. This was a predecessor state to the Netherlands and the first fully independent Dutch nation state. Amsterdam, Delft, Rouen, Utrecht, Brugge, Ghent, and Antwerp are all included on the map. A small inset map in the lower right depicts the course of the Maas River from Maastricht to Wessem. There is a decorative cartouche in the upper left corner and a distance scale cartouche in the lower right corner.
Creator: Nicolaus Visscher (1618 - 1679)
Creation Year: 1678
Dimensions: Height: 26.63 in (67.65 cm)
Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)
Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This is an original hand-colored 17th century map of Belgium by Nicolaus (Nicolas) Visscher II entitled "Belgium Foederatum emendate auctum et novissime editum", published in Amsterdam in 1678. The map shows the seven provinces comprising the Belgium federation or the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands or the Dutch Republic as it was also known. The republic was formed when an alliance of seven Dutch provinces in the Spanish Netherlands revolted against rule by Spain in 1579 (the Union of Utrecht) and declared their independence in 1581 (the Act of Abjuration). The seven provinces were Groningen, Frisia, Overijssel, Guelders, Utrecht, Holland and Zeeland. This was a predecessor state to the Netherlands and the first fully independent Dutch nation state. Amsterdam, Delft, Rouen, Utrecht, Brugge, Ghent, and Antwerp are all included on the map. A small inset map in the lower right depicts the course of the Maas River from Maastricht to Wessem. There is a decorative cartouche in the upper left corner and a distance scale cartouche in the lower right corner.
Creator: Nicolaus Visscher (1618 - 1679)
Creation Year: 1678
Dimensions: Height: 26.63 in (67.65 cm)
Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)
Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
This is an original hand-colored 17th century map of Belgium by Nicolaus (Nicolas) Visscher II entitled "Belgium Foederatum emendate auctum et novissime editum", published in Amsterdam in 1678. The map shows the seven provinces comprising the Belgium federation or the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands or the Dutch Republic as it was also known. The republic was formed when an alliance of seven Dutch provinces in the Spanish Netherlands revolted against rule by Spain in 1579 (the Union of Utrecht) and declared their independence in 1581 (the Act of Abjuration). The seven provinces were Groningen, Frisia, Overijssel, Guelders, Utrecht, Holland and Zeeland. This was a predecessor state to the Netherlands and the first fully independent Dutch nation state. Amsterdam, Delft, Rouen, Utrecht, Brugge, Ghent, and Antwerp are all included on the map. A small inset map in the lower right depicts the course of the Maas River from Maastricht to Wessem. There is a decorative cartouche in the upper left corner and a distance scale cartouche in the lower right corner.
Creator: Nicolaus Visscher (1618 - 1679)
Creation Year: 1678
Dimensions: Height: 26.63 in (67.65 cm)
Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)
Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
Medium: Engraving
Condition: See description below.
The map is presented in an attractive antiqued medium brown-colored wood frame with gold-colored inner and outer trim and a light tan-colored fabric mat. The frame measures 26.63" high by 30" wide by 0.75" deep. There is some darkening of the red areas in the map, presumably related to oxidation of the original iron containing pigment over time. There are also a few scattered spots. The map is otherwise in very good condition.
The Visscher family were one of the great cartographic families of the 17th century. Begun by Claes Jansz Visscher (1587-1652) and continued by his son Nicolaes (1618-1679), grandson Nicolaes II (1649-1702) and then by his grandson’s widow, Elizabeth until her death in 1726. The Visschers were prolific publishers, producing individual maps and also atlases made up to their customers’ specifications. They are commonly regarded as second only to the Blaeu family, among Dutch mapmakers, for the high quality of engraving and decoration, and the geographical accuracy of their many maps.
