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Description

Decorative map of Northern Holland between Amsterdam and the island of Texel. This map was published at the end of the 17th-century in Amsterdam by the Visscher publishing family, one of the most important Dutch publishing families of the Golden Age of Dutch Cartography.

The map shows the region in question in fine detail, with numerous canals, roads, cities, and more denoted. The sub-symmetric layout of Amsterdam is shown crisscrossed by bodies of water and confined by its old walls.

The map is extremely decorative, possessing two large cartouches. The lower right cartouche shows pastoral scenes of the Netherlands, with milkmaids holding barrels of cheese and a shepherd. The upper left cartouche shows more regal scenes, with various coats of arms and well-built figures.

Condition Description
Original hand-color in outline. Some even toning.
Nicolaes Visscher II Biography

Nicolaas Visscher II (1649-1702) was a prominent Dutch cartographer and publisher during the late 17th century. He was the grandson of Claes Janszoon Visscher and the son of Nicolaes Visscher I, both of whom were also renowned cartographers in their own right. After his father's death in 1679, Nicolaas Visscher II took over the family's map publishing business.

In 1680, he married Elizabeth Verseyl from Gouda, and in 1682, he obtained a new privilege from the States of Holland and West Friesland to protect his maps and publications from being copied. Visscher II continued the family tradition of producing high-quality maps, atlases, and globes, often with elaborate and decorative elements. He maintained the Visscher family's reputation for accuracy and craftsmanship in the competitive world of Dutch cartography until his death in 1702. After his death, his widow, Elizabeth, and later his son, also named Nicolaas, continued the business until around 1726.