Dr. Joan Jansz(oon) Blaeu's Atlas Maior was to become his magnum opus. With a privileged international audience in mind, Blaeu succeeded in creating the largest, costliest, and most sumptuously decorated atlas ever endeavored. The atlas was comprised…
Despite its great beauty, Blaeu's Atlas Maior was compiled from many outdated impressions including those of his father's and was, therefore, terribly inaccurate. To his audience, this mattered little. They were simply moved by its sheer size, its…