Frederick De Wit's Map of the Republic of Genoa: a portrait of Northern Italy in one of its most dynamic historical periods

The map of the Republic of Genoa with Milan, Parma, and Monferrato, created by Frederick De Wit in 1670, is a cartographic work of extraordinary visual and documentary richness, portraying northern Italy during one of the most dynamic periods of its political history. The copper engraving depicts a territory extending from the Ligurian coast to the Lombard plains, encompassing a mosaic of states and duchies that characterized the geopolitical landscape of the seventeenth century. The map’s surface is enriched with various decorative elements: ornamental cartouches, noble coats of arms, and allegorical figures are harmoniously distributed among the topographical representations, creating a refined balance between scientific precision and aesthetic sensitivity. The overall atmosphere reflects the civic pride and mercantile prosperity of the Italian city-states, immortalized at the height of their political autonomy.

BUY THE REPRODUCTION OF "MAP OF THE REPUBLIC OF GENOA" BY FREDERICK DE WIT

Style
The work reflects the Dutch cartographic tradition of the Golden Age, a period during which Amsterdam became the global center of map production thanks to the technical excellence of its engravers and the vast accumulation of geographic information by Dutch merchants. Frederik de Wit was a cartographer of the Dutch Golden Age active in the second half of the seventeenth and the early eighteenth centuries, and his output represents the pinnacle of that tradition, which combined scientific rigor with artistic refinement. The adopted style shows the influence of the earlier Flemish school, enriched by technical innovations developed in the Netherlands during the seventeenth century. Maps produced by Dutch artists were renowned for including elaborately decorated borders and embellishments filled with illustrations, known as "cartes-à-figures," a characteristic that gives this work its distinctive character. The stylistic approach combines topographic accuracy with decorative elements that reveal the influence of contemporary Baroque art, creating an original synthesis between documentary function and aesthetic value.

Color and lighting
The color palette of the work is based on warm earth tones and ochres. The chromatic contrasts follow a functional logic: different political domains are represented in differentiated shades, while coastal areas are tinted with delicate blues evoking the transparency of the Mediterranean. The lighting does not follow naturalistic principles but responds to the needs of cartographic legibility, with luminous intensities highlighting elements of greater strategic and economic relevance. Mountain areas are rendered through shades of brown and gray that suggest the relief’s three-dimensionality, while fertile plains are characterized by lighter tones reflecting their agricultural importance. The color distribution creates a visual hierarchy guiding the observer in reading the territory, using color intensity to emphasize the importance of the various urban centers.

Spatial management
The spatial representation is organized according to the principles of seventeenth-century cartographic projection, where the earth’s curvature is translated onto a flat surface through graphic conventions established by the Ptolemaic and Mercator traditions. Depth is suggested through a skillful use of aerial perspective applied to the depiction of mountain ranges, which gradually fade toward the horizon creating a sense of atmospheric distance. The distribution of elements in space follows criteria of geographic accuracy without neglecting the compositional needs of visual balance. The spatial organization reveals the technical mastery of the engraver in translating complex three-dimensional information into a comprehensible two-dimensional representation.

Composition and framing
The composition is structured according to a dynamic balance that combines the geographic centrality of Milan with the peripheral distribution of other centers of power, reflecting the political and economic hierarchies of the time. This map of northern Italy shows the area from Turin to Parma, at a time when much of the region was controlled by the Habsburgs. The territorial framing isolates a strategic segment of the Italian peninsula, focusing attention on the area that constituted the commercial and political crossroads between Central Europe and the Mediterranean. The arrangement of decorative elements follows principles of symmetry and proportion that reveal the influence of classical aesthetics, while cartouches and coats of arms are distributed according to a logic respecting both informational needs and visual harmony. These compositional choices transform the map into a celebration of the cultural wealth and political diversity of northern Italy, offering an overview that values both geographic unity and institutional plurality.

Technique and materials
The work was created by copper engraving; the high-quality paper support, characteristic of book production of the period, guaranteed dimensional stability and resistance to aging, essential qualities for documents intended for prolonged use. Copper engraving was a technique used since the mid-sixteenth century, and while copper plates allowed for large quantities to be reproduced, the quality of execution depended on the engraver’s skill in modulating the depth and density of the grooves. The tools used included burins of various sizes to achieve lines of variable thickness, while coloring was applied manually with fine brushes and mineral pigments diluted in aqueous binders. The execution mode reveals the integration of multiple skills, from plate preparation to final printing, passing through careful coloring, which transformed the monochrome engraving into a polychrome work of great visual impact.

Frederick De Wit’s map represents a culminating moment in the history of European cartography, where the need to document the territory becomes an opportunity for artistic expression. The legacy of this map lies in its ability to convey geographic information without neglecting aesthetic beauty.