Willem Jansz. Blaeu is one of the greatest Dutch cartographers of all time. It is little known that he began his atlas productions by publishing sea atlases. His first work was the ‘Het Licht der Zee-Vaert’ in 1608. “It is one of the most important Dutch pilot-guides rivalling and surpassing the ‘Thresoor der Zeevaaerdt’ of Lucas Waghenaer which was first published some sixteen years earlier and ceased with the issue of the ninth edition one year later in 1609” (Wardington). “In the history of early Dutch pilot guides Blaeu’s work takes a very prominent place” (Koeman). Blaeu was granted a privilege in ten years which expired in 1618. Two years later Jan Jansson published his own version entitled ‘Het Licht der Zee-Vaert’ in which the copper plates were engraved by Pieter van den Keere.

This particular chart extends from the Scilly Islands along the south coasts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset extending to Portland. The map is orientated slightly west of north to line up the Cornish peninsula’s coastline horizontally across the chart. The sea is decorated with two ornate compass roses. The title in Dutch is repeated in French. Provenance: private English collection. Not in ‘Scarcer Maps of the Isles of Scilly’; Koeman IV pp. 27-34 M. Bl. 15. no. 19; not in Palmer (1963); Shirley (2004) M.Jan 1a; Skelton (1964b). Price for the pair.