Johannes van Keulen (1654 – 1715)
was a Dutch cartographer and publisher who mainly produced nautical charts and atlases, 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 established himself in Amsterdam in 1678. In 1680 he gained a privilege from the States of Holland and West Friesland for 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 only 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
This eye-catching and extremely rare sea chart of northern Europe has a coastline which stretches from „Nova Zemla“ and „Russland“ in the Northeast along „Lapland“, Oostfinland“, „Finacken“ and „Noorwegen“ to the English Channel in the South, including the British Isles, „Spisberg“ and „Yslandt“ in the North Sea while „Jan Mayen Eylandt“ is placed in an inset with an ornamental frame in the upper left corner.
The bottom right contains a beautiful ornamental title cartouche which identifies „Ioannes van Keulen“ as the manufacturer.
Particular features of this map are the heightening of parts in gold and the colouration in the grisaille technique, a French term for using only shades of grey, brown or another neutral colour, often to imitate a sculpture.
The map is decorated with detailed whaling ships and whales (one is blowing), two ornamental compass roses and additionally four others, all connected by rhumblines. Above the lower neatline three distance scales are placed.
In contrary to its Nordic neighbouring islands Spitsbergen and Jan Mayen, Greenland („Nieu Groenland“) is nearly not existing on this map, with the exception of the eastern coastline which is roughly outlined. The Arctic Circle is not marked.
On the map of Iceland, a lot of place-names are to be found along the coastline. In the interior the island is completely empty.
Comments by the collector
I have bought this map near the end of 2025 from Paulus Swaen Europe („Librairie Leb-Larocque“). The description was not very detailed. It was more about heightening in gold and grisaille technique. There was also no information about the year specification „after 1666“.
Therefore I searched for this map on Google. The only outcome was the text on the website of the antiquarian. Then I bought the two-volume work „The Mapping of North America“ of Philip D. Burden and looked at all maps of Johannes van Keulen. This map is not mentioned. I could not believe this result and asked ChatGPT. The answer has been the information from Paulus Swaen Europe! I tried again: „Obviously this map seems to be very rare. Do you know in which museums it can be found?“ Some museums were mentioned but then I discovered that for the research not the precise title of the map had been used.
May be one day I will get to know more. It could be that the map in the Schulte Collection is the only one which has survived!