NATOLIA, quae olim ASIA MINOR
\nBLAEU, William Janszoon
\nAmsterdam, c.1640
\nPlate size: 38×49.9 cm <\/p>\n
Blaeu’s decorative map of Asia Minor,
\nshowing Turkey, Cyprus and the Islands
\nin the Aegean.
\nThis attractive map shows all of Turkey,
\nCyprus and the Aegean Islands to a
\nrelatively high degree of accuracy. At the time the entire region was under the rule of the
\nOttoman Empire (Cyprus was conquered in 1571 from the Venetians). A maritime battle
\nscene, located in the seas to the west of Cyprus, memorializes the naval rivalry between
\nthe Ottomans and the Venetians. Major cities, such as Constantinople (Istanbul), Smryna
\n(Izmir) and Antioch are shown, while an elegant title banner completes the composition.
\nThe map is from Willem Jansz Blaeu’s (1571-1638) Atlas Novus, first issued in 1635, with
\nnew issues being published by Willem’s son, Joan Blaeu. This atlas was the most
\ncommercially successful of its time, and its maps were widely admired as masterpieces of
\nBaroque cartography.
\nWillem Janszoon Blaeu Biography
\nWillem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638) was a prominent Dutch geographer and publisher.
\nBorn the son of a herring merchant, Blaeu chose not fish but mathematics and astronomy
\nfor his focus. He studied with the famous Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, with whom he
\nhoned his instrument and globe making skills. Blaeu set up shop in Amsterdam, where he
\nsold instruments and globes, published maps, and edited the works of intellectuals like
\nDescartes and Hugo Grotius. In 1635, he released his atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum,
\nsive, Atlas novus.
\nWillem died in 1638. He had two sons, Cornelis (1610-1648) and Joan (1596-1673). Joan
\ntrained as a lawyer, but joined his father\u2019s business rather than practice. After his father\u2019s
\ndeath, the brothers took over their father\u2019s shop and Joan took on his work as
\nhydrographer to the Dutch East India Company. Later in life, Joan would modify and
\ngreatly expand his father\u2019s Atlas novus, eventually releasing his masterpiece, the Atlas
\nmaior, between 1662 and 1672.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NATOLIA, quae olim ASIA MINOR BLAEU, William Janszoon Amsterdam, c.1640 Plate size: 38×49.9 cm Blaeu’s decorative map of Asia Minor, showing Turkey, Cyprus and the Islands in the Aegean. This…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10638,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[74,55],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4409","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-haritalar","7":"product_cat-anadolu","9":"first","10":"instock","11":"purchasable","12":"product-type-simple"},"yoast_head":"\n