We have been unable to trace a bibliographic record of this map it is not recorded in Burden ‘The Mapping of North America’. Although it is of the Low Countries it includes a series of maps of their colonial interests amongst which is one of the New Netherlands in America. It is printed from two copper plates and is purported to be by François Jollain (ca. 1641 – 18 April 1704). The Jollain family extends to Gerard I and II, Francois and Jacques. Attribution of many of their works is made difficult by the lack of use of forenames in many imprints. A detailed study of the family and their works is yet to be undertaken. Gerard Jollain (d.1683) is believed to be the father of Gerard II (1638-1722), Francois, Jacques (b.1649) and Francois Gerard (1660-c.1735). The family were publishers and sellers of both maps and prints in Paris during the second half of the seventeenth century.

More than half of the double page map is devoted to the Low Countries themselves. As the title describes the country was united at Utrecht in 1579. It goes on to recall the beginning of the Franco-Dutch War of 1672-76. The year 1672 referred to in the title saw a full scale invasion of the Low Countries by French, English and German forces. The second slightly smaller plate on the left includes a series of small maps of Dutch interests around the world including the New Netherlands, South East Asia, West Africa and Brazil with textual descriptions below. The Dutch reoccupied New Amsterdam in August 1673 before rescinding ownership in the treaty of peace in February 1674.

I am aware of one other example with the two plates printed in the reverse order. Francois Jollain (1641-1704) produced a map of the seventeen provinces entitled ‘Nouvelle Carte Generale des Dix Sept Provinces des Pays Bas’ which is much more detailed and dated 1686. It would seem highly likely that this sheet was printed to mark the invasions of 1672 and possibly timed around the reoccupation of New Amsterdam. Jollain also produced a view of New Amsterdam, both items bear the name of Jollain only, no forename is given. Burden (2007) no. 426; Tooley’s Dictionary.