This map of Delft was produced by Joan Blaeu (1596–1673) and published in his Stedenatlas van de Verenigde Nederlanden of 1649, one of the most ambitious printed city atlases of the seventeenth century. The atlas formed part of Blaeu’s broader cartographic enterprise, closely connected to the monumental Atlas MaiorThe Atlas Maior is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and around 3,000 pages of text. It was the largest and most expensive book published in the seventeenth century. Earlier, much smaller versions, titled Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas Novus, were published from 1634 onwards. Like Abraham Ortelius's Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570), the Atlas Maior is widely considered a masterpiece of the Golden Age of Dutch/Netherlandish cartography (approximately 1570s–1670s), and reflected the technical and cultural confidence of the Dutch Republic at mid-century.
Maps in the Stedenatlas focus on individual towns rather than provinces. They typically combine a precise ground plan—showing streets, canals, fortifications, and gates—with decorative elements such as coats of arms, legends, and surrounding landscapes. The layouts were based on surveys, earlier municipal plans, and information supplied by local authorities, giving them a high degree of reliability for their time.
Beyond their practical value, these maps functioned as civic portraits. They presented Dutch cities as orderly, well-governed, and prosperous, emphasizing fortifications, waterways, and urban infrastructure. Issued during the Republic’s period of economic and political strength, the Stedenatlas served both as a reference work and as a visual statement of urban pride and republican identity.
The map of Delft is among the most informative printed images of the city from the mid-seventeenth century. It presents Delft as a compact, carefully regulated urban organism, fully defined by its system of canals and defensive works.
The plan emphasizes the city’s rectangular canal grid, with the Oude Delft and Nieuwe Delft running prominently through its length. Bastioned earthworks, gates, and surrounding moats are rendered in detail, reflecting Delft’s continuing military relevance even during a relatively stable period. Windmills, bleaching fields, and gardens appear beyond the walls, marking the transition from urban to semi-rural space.
Key civic and religious buildings are clearly identifiable, including the Nieuwe Kerk and Oude Kerk, which anchor the city visually and symbolically. The Town Hall on the Markt is also given prominence, underscoring Delft’s status as a self-governing city within the Republic. While individual houses are schematic, the overall street pattern corresponds closely to archival records and surviving topography.
Like other city plans in the Stedenatlas, the Delft map functions as more than a navigational aid. It acts as a civic image, projecting order, discipline, and prosperity. For modern viewers, it is especially valuable as a near-contemporary document of the city during the lifetime of Vermeer, capturing the urban framework within which his daily life and professional activity unfolded.
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Seventeenth-century city maps such as those in the Stedenatlas van de Verenigde Nederlanden were printed using copperplate engraving, an intaglio process that allowed far greater precision than woodcut printing.
The work began with a smooth sheet of copper. A professional engraver cut the map design into the metal using burins and gravers, carving lines of varying depth to control how much ink each line would hold. Street grids, canals, fortifications, lettering, and decorative elements were all incised directly into the plate, often based on drawings prepared by surveyors or draftsmen. Corrections were difficult, which encouraged careful planning before engraving began.
Once engraved, the plate was inked by rubbing ink across its surface so that it filled the incised lines. The surface was then wiped clean, leaving ink only in the grooves. Dampened paper was laid over the plate and both were run through a rolling press under heavy pressure. This forced the paper into the engraved lines, transferring the ink and producing a slightly embossed image that can still be felt on original impressions.
Maps were printed one sheet at a time, making the process slow and costly. Large city plans were often printed from a single plate, while very large compositions could require multiple plates joined together. After printing, many maps were hand-colored, either in the publisher’s workshop or later by buyers, using watercolors to pick out waterways, walls, buildings, and coats of arms.
In the case of the Blaeu workshop—founded by Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571–1638) and later run by his son Joan Blaeu (1596–1673)—engraving, printing, and coloring were organized on an almost industrial scale. This combination of skilled engraving and high-quality printing is what gave Blaeu city maps their crisp lines, legible lettering, and lasting authority.