The titlepage of the England volume of 'Le Grand Atlas'

BLAEU, Johannes.

Angleterre, qui est le XI.. Livre de L'Europe.
Amsterdam, 1663. Engraved titlepage in superb original hand colour with gold highlights, with a letterpress title laid on, as usual. 415x 245mm.

A very decorative titlepage from Volume 4 of the French edition of the 'Atlas Major', Blaeu's eleven-volume atlas, containing the maps of English and Welsh counties. The plate is dated 1662, the date of the first, Latin edition.
It features an architectural design surmounted with the arms of England supported by a lion and dragon, with the fanciful figures of a Briton, Roman, Saxon, Dane and Norman standing in alcoves.
This titlepage was first used when Volume 4 was first published in 1645, during the English Civil War. Despite this example being published in 1663, after the Restoration of Charles II after the Civil War, the arms are still a Tudor style, featuring the dragon that was replaced by the Scottish unicorn by Stuart monarchs.


Stock ID : 24082