Johannes van Keulen II. (1704 – 1755)
was a Dutch cartographer and publisher who mainly produced nautical charts and atlases in the tradition of his grandfather Johannes van Keulen (1654 – 1715), the founder of a firm which should become the biggest and most influential name in the history of Dutch sea-charts.
Born in Deventer, Johannes van Keulen the Elder established himself in Amsterdam in 1678. In 1680 he gained a privilege from the States of Holland and West Friesland fir the publication of pilot guides and sea atlases. In that year Johannes released the
„Zee-Atlas. De groote nieuwe vermeerderde Zee-Atlas ofte Water-Wereld“ which became immensely popular and was steadily re-produced until 1734. In 1681 „De Nieuwe Groote Lichtende Zee-Fakkel“ (Shining Sea-Torch) appeared. The atlas had charts compiled by Claes Jansz. Vooght and artwork from Jan Luyken. This five-volume work was published in several editions until 1685 and made Johannes van Keulen famous. There were translations of the atlas in French, English, Spanish and Italian language.
Gerard van Keulen (1678 – 1726), the son of Johannes van Keulen, was endowed with talent and by doing an internship with his father, Gerard became a skillful engraver. He was also proficient in mathematics and navigation and established the scientific basis of the van Keulen firm. In 1714 he was appointed hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company and the family remained chart makers until the company‘s liquidation.
After Gerard van Keulen‘s death at the age of 49 years, his son Johannes van Keulen II. (1704 – 1755) carried on the business. He is known in particular for his publication in 1753 of a sixth volume of the „Zee-Fakkel“ which contained new charts of the route to the East Indies and was re-printed until 1773.
When Johannes van Keulen the Younger died, his son Gerald Hulst van Keulen (1733 – 1801), great grandson of the founder of the „Empire“, took over the firm. He was responsible for publishing the final true van Keulen editions of the family‘s signature product, the „Zee-Fakkel“. When he died the business was continued by his son Johannes Hulst van Keulen and after his death in 1844 the firm passed out of family hands and flourished under different names until 1885.
Map Details
Excellent description by the antiquarian: The present map is almost unknown in public and private collections. Covers the entire North Atlantic from 48 to 73 north, centered at 63 north. Excellent coastal, detailed showing littoral North America from Cape Bedford (the eastern edge of Baffin Island) to the northern edge of the Grand Bank. At the entrance to the Hudson Strait, Resolution Island is called „Goed Fortuyn“. The Gulf of St. Lawrence with extensive detail. Prince Edward Island identified as „I. Natilkotes“.
Greenland is given interesting treatment. Two apocryphal straits bisect the southern tip of Greenland, and while the west coast is well mapped to 73, the eastern coast above 72 30 is uncharted, likely due to the hazards of the „Groote Ysbergen“ identified.
Iceland is given serious consideration, and the northern reaches of Europe are only glanced at the sliver of Norway’s west coast. Great Britain, the English Channel and the west coast of Holland, Belgium, and France all come in for detailed treatment.
Typical of a sea chart with this level of detail, numerous encourages, shallow depths, rocky approaches, and other maritime hazards are identified.
A bar scale at the top is used to represent distance changes across the map at these far northern latitudes, cleverly illustrating the unavoidable distortion. Three compass roses adorn the map along with a pair of cartouches featuring Poseidon and Mercury consorting in the smaller, and the larger title cartouche sporting chartmaker‘s, navigation, and maritime elements in a Baroque surround.
Comments by the collector
I bought this map from „The Antiquarium“ in Houston, Texas and received an email from the owner Ed Grusnis and his team with the following sentence: „Now the map will be in an important institutional collection and available to scholars in perpetuity. We admire your passion and are pleased to have made acquaintance and do business with you“.