Maps by Blaeu
5 min
The maps of Willem Jansz. Blaeu are not just useful for sailors. Blaeu also creates beautiful, decorated maps that people can hang on their walls.
Willem Jansz. Blaeu
The maps of Willem Jansz. Blaeu are not just useful for sailors. Blaeu also creates beautiful, decorated maps that people can hang on their walls. These luxury maps are popular with people interested in faraway countries and other cultures. Blaeu pays a lot of attention to the decorations on the maps, such as drawings of people from different parts of the world and images of cities.
Parchment maps
Blaeu makes nautical maps to help sailors during their journeys. He prints these maps on strong parchment, a type of thick paper, so they can withstand the rough life at sea. The luxury maps, which are meant for home use, are made on paper. These maps are often bought by wealthy people, such as merchants, shipowners, and other rich citizens, to decorate their homes or offices. One of the buyers was Constantijn Huygens, a well-known poet and diplomat. He hung the maps in his house so his children could learn about the world and discover more about distant countries.
Four parts of the world
One of Blaeu’s most famous works is the collection "Four Parts of the World," in which he creates maps of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. These maps show the world as people in the 17th century saw it. Blaeu’s work is often displayed in museums, and his famous "Atlas Maior" is an important part of the Canon of the Netherlands. This is a project that highlights key moments in Dutch history.
Canon of the Netherlands
The Canon of the Netherlands is a project that focuses on important events, people, and objects in Dutch history. It is a collection of fifty "windows," each telling an important story. Blaeu’s maps belong to the Canon of the Netherlands. With his Atlas Maior, he brings the world within reach, in the most beautiful version you can imagine.
