Joan Blaeu Atlas Maior of 1665, 'The Greatest and Finest Atlas Ever Published

New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. Reissue. Large Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 8x1x13. First printing of 2006 Barnes & Noble reissue. Minimal wear to corners, looks excellent under fresh mylar. Binding tight, pages clean, bright, and unmarked. 415 pp. English, German, and French text. Beautiful color reproductions of numerous maps, based on the copy of the 1665 atlas in the Osterreiche Nationalbibliothek, Wien. "The Atlas Maior, the cartographical masterpiece of the Baroque, was brought out in 1662 and 1665 by the Amsterdam publisher Joan Blaeu, one of Holland's leading cartographers. Originally appearing in Latin, the atlas comprised 594 maps in 11 volumes, which depicted the whole of the world as known to early modern Europe. For more than 100 years it remained the definitive atlas of the world, and today is one of the most sought-after and valuable antiquarian rarities. TASCHEN's bibliophile reprint of this costly atlas is based on the hand-colored copy with gilt highlights now in the Austrian National Library in Vienna. Alongside original quotes from Joan Blaeu relating to the individual maps, the new text by Peter van de Krogt explains the historical and cultural associations and introduces the reader to the fascinaing world of early modern cartography.