Joan or Johannes Blaeu was born in the city of Alkmar in the Netherlands. When he was seven years old, the family moved to Amsterdam. His father, Willem Jansoon Blaeu, a pupil of Tycho Brahe, was a cartographer and engraver who specialized in the production of globes and atlases. The young Blaeu later also embarked on this career. Nothing is known about his youth and his education. One only knows that he became a doctor of law at the age of only 24 years. However, he does not seem to have worked as a lawyer, but to have been active in his father's business. When Ala died in 1638, his sons Joan and Cornelis took over his father's company and Joan Blaeu became the managing director and officially appointed cartographer of the Dutch East India Company. In 1940 he published the first three volumes of the world-famous Novus Atlas "theatrum orbis terrarum sive" and in 1645 and 1654 further supplementary volumes followed. The Novus Atlas with its beautifully coloured copper engraved maps established the international fame of Johannes Blaeu.
Shortly afterwards, the publisher and artist began an even more ambitious project, the Atlas Major. The large eleven-volume edition contained almost 600 maps of the entire world known at that time. In addition there were about 3000 pages of text with descriptions of the different countries. Every single map was provided with a richly decorated cartouche and with drawings of allegorical figures. Depending on what the customers wanted, the sheets, which were actually printed in black and white, were also hand-coloured, gilded and lavishly bound in parchment or leather. It was even possible to purchase specially made bookcases for them. The Atlas Major was the cartographic masterpiece of the Renaissance and very precious and correspondingly expensive. It was one of the most expensive publications at that time. Today it is a very rare antiquarian rarity. Besides the Novum Atlas and the Atlas Major, Johannes Blaeu also published many city maps, mainly of the Netherlands as well as Belgium and Luxembourg, which belonged to the Netherlands at that time. In 1672 a devastating fire destroyed Johannes Blaeu's factory and the entire Spanish language edition of the Atala Major. He never recovered from this severe blow and died the following year.
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 - (MeisterDrucke-203592).jpg "Luxembourg, the Capital of the Duchy by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Virginia and Florida by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Italy, Map of Pesaro, from Theatrum civitatum et admirandorum Italiae by Joan Blaeu, engraving by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Spoleto by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of East Prussia by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Antique Map of Daphne from the")
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_Danish_astronomer_in_his_observatory_E_-_(MeisterDrucke-1058309).jpg "Representation of Tycho Brahe in His Observatory by Joan Blaeu")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1115167).jpg "North Atlantic and South America, Volume XI, Atlas Maior by Joan Blaeu")
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_in_1600_engraving_from_-_(MeisterDrucke-1093812).jpg "View of the Public Study in 1600, Engraving from Theatrum Civitatum et Admirandorum Italiae by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Plan of the Castle and Observatory of Uraniborg, Constructed c.1584 by Tycho Brahe on the Island of Hven, Denmark from")
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.jpg "Map of Iceland, from")
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.jpg "View of inner courtyard of old University in Bologna, Joan Blaeu, engraving, Italy by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Canada, Engraving from Survey by Samuel de Champlain by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-153535).jpg "Map of Cambridgeshire, published Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Ghent, Belgium; from Atlas van Loon by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Perugia, Umbria, from Theatrum Civitatum et Admirandorum Italiae by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-190032).jpg "Map Depicting the East Coast of North America, 1647 by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Province of Vicenza from Theatrum civitatum et admirandorum Italiae, engraving by Joan Blaeu")
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 from the Atlas Major c1630 - (MeisterDrucke-190998).jpg "An Orrery designed by Tycho Brahe from the")
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.jpg "View of Villa d")
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.jpg "Map of Assisi from Theatrum Civitates et Admirandorum Italiae by Joan Blaeu")
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 from - (MeisterDrucke-259626).jpg "Map of the Travels of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) from")
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_Italy_-_(MeisterDrucke-1119308).jpg "Map of Racconigi, Engraving by Joan Blaeu, Italy by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of China, from \"Atlas Maior Sive Cosmographia Blaviana\" by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Africa in 1686 by Joan Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of New Belgium and New England by Joan Blaeu")
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 aged 40 amongst his astronomical ins - (MeisterDrucke-302088).jpg "Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) Aged 40, Amongst His Astronomical Instruments, from the")
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.jpg "The Moscow Kremlin Map of the 16th century Castellum Urbis Moskvae by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-174047).jpg "City of Dunkirk during the Spanish domination: plan showing the coastal defences, castle, and bastion fortifications by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Double Hemisphere Map of the World, 1662 by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Bologna, from Theatrum Civitates et Admirandorum Italiae (detail) by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "The Chief of the Powhattan Tribe (detail) by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Tabula Magellanica: Map of Strait of Magellan by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-304779).jpg "Douai, 1649 by Joan Blaeu")
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_c_-_(MeisterDrucke-1107956).jpg "Gold Yielding Regions of Peru, Volume VII, Atlas Maior, by Joan Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-169491).jpg "Venlo, 1649 by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-80672).jpg "Map Showing the Kremlin, Moscow by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "View of Antique Thessaly from the")
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.jpg "Tycho Brahe")
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.jpg "Great Equatorial Armillary Sphere by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "The Villa d")
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.jpg "Europe Map From: Atlas Maior by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-299214).jpg "Dendermonde, 1649 by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Nettuno, Lazio, Italy, copper engraving by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-62954).jpg "Moscow, from")
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.jpg "Perspective View of Ostia City and Port, Lazio, Italy, copper engraving by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "The San Petronio Basilica in Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Narni from Theatrum civitatum et admirandorum Italiae by Joan Blaeu, engraving by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of The Hague by Joan Blaeu")
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_copper_engraving_Amsterda_-_(MeisterDrucke-1107983).jpg "Moscow, Volume II, Atlas Maior, by Joan Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-188947).jpg "Cambrai by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of the World. Double Hemisphere by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Frankfurt and Its Territory, from Atlas Maior by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "San Petronio Cathedral in Venice, Print by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Coast of Virginia, from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-219622).jpg "Gelre, 1649 by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "New and")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-290003).jpg "Bergen, Netherlands, 1649 by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-198860).jpg "Lier by Joan Blaeu")
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_from_Theatrum_Regiae_Celsit_-_(MeisterDrucke-1110285).jpg "The Village of Dolceacqua from Theatrum Regiae Celsitudinis Sabaudiae by Joan Blaeu")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1583656).jpg "Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, from Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Acquapendente from Theatrum Civitates et Admirandorum Italiae by Joan Blaeu")
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_in_his_observatory_in_Uranienburg_-_-_(MeisterDrucke-1054102).jpg "Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546 - 1601) in his observatory in Uranienburg - colour engraving by Atlas Major Ssive and cosmographed Blavania labores and sumptibus by Johannis Blaev by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Hispania quae est Europae, Book XVII, title page of Volume IX, from Atlas Maior by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-183516).jpg "The Benedictine Abbey of St Winnock, Bergen, Netherlands, 1649 by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of the Gold-Bearing Regions in Peru by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Quadrans Magnus Chalibeus Page from the Atlas Major by Joan Blaeu")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1430795).jpg "The Moscow Kremlin Map of the 16th century by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Gubbio, Italy, from Theatrum Civitates et Admirandorum Italiae by Joan Blaeu, Engraving by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "An Orrery Designed by the Danish Astronomer Tycho Brahe by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "New and most accurate map of the whole world by Ioanne Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-152371).jpg "Tienen by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Celestial Globe by Joan Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "The Equatorial Armillary of Tycho Brahe, 16th Century by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "An Allegorical Plate with Title, Geographia Blaviana by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Livonia Map, Vulgo Lyefland, Atlas Maior by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "The City of Dunkirk during the Spanish occupation, published in Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Sicily region by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "The Four Elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Calabria region by Joan Blaeu")
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_printed_in_1686_-_(MeisterDrucke-1109224).jpg "Map of Asia from the Atlas by Joan Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
_printed_in_1686_-_(MeisterDrucke-1109224).jpg)
_print_from_Theatrum_Civitatum_et_Admirando_-_(MeisterDrucke-1109188).jpg "Map of Rome, by Joan Blaeu (1596-1673), print from Theatrum Civitatum et Admirandorum Italiae, ad Aevi Veteris et Praesentis Temporis Faciem Expressum, Italy by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Moscow, second volume, title page of Part I, from Atlas Maior, atlas in 11 volumes, by Joan Blaeu (1596-1673) by Joan Blaeu")
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_LOC_98687202_-_(MeisterDrucke-1561707).jpg "New and Most Accurate Map of the Whole World by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Joan Blaeu")
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_Book_I_title_page_of_Volume_X_Atlas_Maior_by_Joan_Blaeu_(1596-1673)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1119258).jpg "Asiae (Asia), Book I, title page of Volume X, Atlas Maior, by Joan Blaeu (1596-1673) by Joan Blaeu")
_Book_I_title_page_of_Volume_X_Atlas_Maior_by_Joan_Blaeu_(1596-1673)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1119258).jpg)
_copper_engraving_A_-_(MeisterDrucke-1119257).jpg "Title page of Part I of Atlas Maior, by Joan Blaeu (1596-1673) by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Belgica Regua quae est Europae, Book IX, Title Page of Volume IV, from Atlas Maior, by Joan Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Trento area, from Theater of World, or New Atlas of Maps and Representations of All Regions by Joan Blaeu, Italy by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "The Siege of Turin in 1639, Color Engraving from Theatrum Sabaudiae by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Europe by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Map of Italy by Joan Blaeu")
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_Book_XVII_title_page_Volume_IX_Atlas_Maior_by_-_(MeisterDrucke-1123726).jpg "Hispania quae est Europae (Spain), Book XVII, title page Volume IX, Atlas Maior, by Joan Blaeu by Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Joan Blaeu")
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.jpg "Wind rose with the 32 winds of the world, from the")
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_Bologna_Bologna_Emilia-Romagna_Italy_cop_-_(MeisterDrucke-1110462).jpg "The Two Towers (Asinelli and Garisenda), Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, copper engraving by Joan Blaeu")
_Bologna_Bologna_Emilia-Romagna_Italy_cop_-_(MeisterDrucke-1110462).jpg)
_cop_-_(MeisterDrucke-1123595).jpg "Frankfurt and its territory, Volume III, Atlas Maior, by Joan Blaeu, copper engraving, Amsterdam by Joan Blaeu")
_cop_-_(MeisterDrucke-1123595).jpg)
.jpg "View of the San Michele in Bosco Monastery, Bologna, Italy by Joan Blaeu")
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