Venezuela atque Occidentalis Pars Novae Andalusiae

Covering the coast between Lake Maracaibo and the mouth of the Orinoco River, this copperplate engraved map presents much of the modern-day country of Venezuela as well as several Caribbean islands from the Lesser Antilles. At the time of publication, the region was primarily under Spanish authority, but a lack of precious metals and inadequate political oversight led to the region becoming a backwater of Spain’s Empire in the Americas.

As such, frequent raids from European rivals and pirates would plague coastal settlements like Caracas as well as those on the coastal islands like Trinidad and Margarita. The Dutch, in particular, would be particularly successful, and would soon take over Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.

The map was published in Leiden in 1630 as part of Johannes de Laet’s Nieuwe Wereldt often Beschrijvinghe van West-Indien (Description of the West Indies). The work was originally issued in 1625 and contained ten maps – this is from the slightly updated version that contained fourteen maps and an additional 100 pages of text, reflecting the increased interest of the Dutch in the New World.

Described by Philip Burden as “arguably the finest description of the Americas published during the seventeenth century,” the maps in de Laet’s work were based directly off the cartography of Hessel Gerritsz, considered by some to be the foremost mapmaker of the Dutch Golden Age of Cartography. Gerritsz was the exclusive cartographer for the Dutch East India Company and had access to some of the most up-to-date information available. His maps are generally only available in manuscript form and those published by de Laet are some of the few available to collectors today.

Johannes de Laet was no slouch, either, and he used meticulous research and contemporary sources when compiling his geographic data. As a director of the newly formed Dutch West India Company, the latest information from private correspondence, manuscripts, and other company secrets would have also been made available when compiling the maps.

Etching, very good condition. Rare.