Map of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1640 by Willem Janszoon Blaeu

A splendid, original, color example of Blaeu’s beautiful decorative map of Sicily, from his Atlas Novus. Blaeu’s map is undoubtedly one of the finest of all 17th-century atlas maps of Sicily, with 2 ornate cartouches, a large coat-of-arms, 4 sailing ships, a sea monster and 2 compass roses. This example features rich hand-coloring, and was likely bound into a deluxe edition of Blaeu’s Atlas. Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638) was a Dutch map and globe maker, born in Uitgeest or Alkmaar. He became a student of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe from 1594 to 1596 instead, where he learned to make globes and instruments.

Blaeu started his own map and globe-making business after completing his training with Tycho Brahe, and became one of the leading map, instrument and globe makers in the Netherlands. In 1633 he became the official cartographer for the Dutch East India Company. Around the same time, he purchased the plates used for the Mercator-Hondius Atlas, and began to publish his own Atlas of the World (Atlas Novus), which he expanded and added plates to for the remainder of his life. He passed the business on to his two sons, Johannes and Cornelis, who continued it for the next thirty years, until a fire destroyed their printing house around 1660. Before the destruction of the Blaeu printing house, the original single volume atlas grew to contain over 650 maps, and was the most expensive book ever published at the time.

Unique quality material

Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 40 x 30 cm
With frame: 43 x 33 cm
Material: artwork printed on exquisite handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: Light brown, made of beech wood and handmade wood pulp