Utrecht – Heirs Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge, 1682

PLAN AND PROFILE OF UTRECHT, 1682

“TRAIECTUM WTRECHT”, richly ornamented bird’s-eye plan of Utrecht, with a profile of the city viewed from the west above. Etching and engraving made for Johannes Janssonius’ town book, published in Amsterdam in 1657. This example is the second of three states of the copperplate and was published in 1682 by the heirs of Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge in the town book Tooneel der vermaarste koop-steden en handelsplaatsen van de geheele wereld. Coloured by a later hand. Size approx. 39.5 × 50.5 cm.

In this second state, the originally rather austere map was enriched with elaborate decoration. To the left of the cartouche containing the key appears the goddess of wisdom, Minerva, identifiable by her helmet and spear. Along the lower edge, a lively rural scene was added, with a country house, a horse-drawn carriage, horsemen and hunting dogs. The new decoration at lower right was executed by the ‘plate engraver’ Johan van den Aveele (1655–1727).

The actual map was re-engraved after Joan Blaeu’s plan Traiectum Wttrecht, which appeared in his town atlas in 1649. Its topographical basis, however, is older. The image shown on this Janssonius map largely corresponds to the situation in 1618, although Blaeu’s model also incorporates information dating from the years 1642–1644.

The key with 26 numbered references — including several corrupted German forms of the place names — was derived from yet another map, made by Matthäus Merian and published in Frankfurt in 1647.

Literature; Kaarten van Utrecht, Marijke Donkersloot-de Vrij (Uitg. Hes), map no. 16-2. 

Price: Euro 1.850,- (incl. frame)