De Wit's glorious map is one of the highlights of the Dutch Golden Age. First issued in 1668, it is recorded in several separate states and acted as a template for multiple other mapmakers such as Danckerts, the Ottens brothers and Hulst van Keulen among others. Its influence lasted well into the 18th century despite the general trend towards a more scientific outlook during the Age of Enlightenment.



Geographically, there are several innovations although in other areas, it is surprisingly backward. For the New world, its main source is de Wit's own map wall map of 1662 which was the first Dutch map to show a delineation of the Great Lakes in North America. De Wit duplicates this early configuration with two of the lakes still having unknown shores open to the west. California is an island, as was the prevalent belief at the time; the model drawn is based on the early Briggs configuration of 1625, with a flat top, eschewing the more "modern" Sanson model with its three northern 'fingers'. There is no detail north of California although, again following orthodox thought at the time, the presence of a Northwest Passage is heavily implied. The Far East is surprisingly inaccurate, bearing in mind the sources available to him. The shape of China is based on the latest surveys by the Jesuit Martini. Africa is based loosely on Visscher but with the elongation of the western coast being traced back to the maps of Hondius and Blaeu in the early 17th century.



The illustrated borders of this map have been called some of the finest produced. They were etched by the master artist and engraver Romeyn de Hooghe. Large scenes in each corner allegorically represent the elements: the upper right a series of classical gods and goddesses including Zeus and Apollo sitting on clouds in the sky, signifying air; the upper left shows a large vignette of a scene of war with a prominent explosion and flame, thus signifying fire; the lower left shows a bucolic farming scene, with growing wheat and several female figures showing the bounty of the land, signifying earth; finally the lower right shows a marine scene, with Neptune and several mer people interacting with whales or sea monsters and multiple ships in the background, signifying water. Two further spheres in the upper and lower centre show the north and south poles with the spaces between them and the large spheres filled with miniature figures representing the continents on the upper centre and seasons on the lower centre.


Due to its strong design and engraving expertise the map was a commercial success for de Wit and others. After the plates were sold at auction, they were purchased by Renard who issued it under his own imprint.



The example on offer is the Renard issue and it is in particular strong and fine original hand colour.

[Shirley 444 State 2] [WLD4478]