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Old color example of De Wit's sea chart of the Norwegian coastline, distinctively oriented with east at the top.
Upon first glance, the viewer's attention is drawn to the detailed coastline of Norway. Each inlet, bay, and peninsula is meticulously etched, making evident the rigorous cartographic study and craftsmanship that went into the chart. The complex coastline and vast stretches of fjords are intricately mapped out, capturing the essence of Norway's unique marine topography.
The allegorical title cartouche is an artistic component that adds a layer of cultural depth to the chart. It effectively encapsulates the spirit of Norway, demonstrating the country's essential industries and traditions through a series of well-executed illustrations. The fishing industry is portrayed through fishermen at work drying their catch, a testament to the vitality of maritime livelihoods in Norway. Ever since the Viking age, Norwegians have dried fish outdoors in the fresh ocean wind to make stockfish.
Mining, another industry central to Norway's economic history, is depicted at the right with pack animals Moreover, the pastoral practice of husbandry is shown by farmers tending to their livestock, reminding viewers of the importance of agricultural activities in the country's hinterland and the exotic breeds of region.
Dominating the foreground of this cartouche is a depiction of a female monarch. Holding a sailing vessel in her left hand, she stands as a symbol of sovereign power and the maritime prowess of the nation.
De Wit (1629 ca.-1706) was a mapmaker and mapseller who was born in Gouda but who worked and died in Amsterdam. He moved to the city in 1648, where he opened a printing operation under the name of The Three Crabs; later, he changed the name of his shop to The White Chart. From the 1660s onward, he published atlases with a variety of maps; he is best known for these atlases and his Dutch town maps. After Frederik’s death in 1706, his wife Maria ran the shop for four years before selling it. Their son, Franciscus, was a stockfish merchant and had no interest in the map shop. At the auction to liquidate the de Wit stock, most of the plates went to Pieter Mortier, whose firm eventually became Covens & Mortier, one of the biggest cartography houses of the eighteenth century.
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