The Van Keulen publishing house was one of

Acquired From: Leen Helmink

Colouring: Coloured

Condition: Very Good

Confirmed: Yes

Description: The Van Keulen publishing house was one of the most important producers of nautical charts and sea atlases in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Founded by Johannes van Keulen in Amsterdam in 1678, the firm specialised in hydrographic publications intended for professional mariners, merchants, and naval use, rather than for the encyclopaedic ambitions of terrestrial atlases.nVan Keulens best-known works include the Zee Atlas and the Zee-fakkel (Sea Torch), both issued in multiple volumes and editions. These publications combined practical sailing directions with carefully engraved charts and elaborate title pages that framed navigation as a disciplined science. The imagery commonly blends classical mythology, personifications of the continents, and instruments of measurement, visually reinforcing the authority and reliability of the charts within.nUnlike the Blaeu or Janssonius atlases, Van Keulens works remained closely tied to the needs of active navigation and continued to be updated and reissued well into the eighteenth century. The firm later received official appointments as chartmakers to the Dutch Admiralty, cementing its reputation as a cornerstone of European maritime cartography.nThis titlepage from the Dutch edition of volume two of Johannes van Keulens Zee-fakkel (Sea Torch) presents navigation as a learned and disciplined practice supported by classical authority.nIn the lower register, nine men gather around a terrestrial globe, actively engaged in study. One measures distances with dividers, emphasising mathematical precision, while another gazes skyward holding a crossbow, a gesture commonly associated with early forms of celestial navigation. A flaming torch, held prominently among the group, functions as a literal and symbolic reference to the atlass title, signifying guidance, illumination, and safe passage at sea.Above this scene, a procession of classical gods and personifications unfolds beneath a zodiacal arch, linking terrestrial practice to cosmic order. Jupiter, identified by his eagle and thunderbolts, presides alongside Juno, accompanied by peacocks, while Apollo, god of the sun, plays the lyre. Other figures personify War, Time, Travel, and Navigation, the latter depicted as a female figure holding a guiding star, a shield of security, and a ship held safely in her hand. Together, the composition frames navigational science as both rational practice and divinely sanctioned endeavour.

First published: De nieuwe groote lichtende Zee-fakkel, Vol. 2, Amsterdam: Johannes van Keulen I, 1681

Mapmaker: Keulen I, Johannes van (1654-1715)

Primary Category: Titlepage

Rarity: R3 Uncommon – dealers can usually obtain a copy

Shirley ID #: 66 Courtiers and Cannibals

Technique: Copper Engraving

This state: 1688