van den Keere, Pieter after Speed, John “Bohemia”

Pieter van den Keere (1571-c.1646) after John Speed (1552-1629).  “Bohemia.”  From John Speed’s A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World. 

London: W.G., 1675.  3 1/2 x 4 7/8.  Engraving by Pieter van den Keere.  Trimmed to neat line.  Small stain in map.  Otherwise, very good condition.  

The success of John Speed’s Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World (1627) led to the publication of a miniature version of his atlas in 1646.  This atlas contained 20 small maps engraved by Pieter van den Keere  after Speed’s folio images.  Van den Keere (1571-1646?) was a Dutch engraver also known as Petrus Kaerius.  Van den Keere was very active in both the Dutch and English map trades during the first half of the seventeenth century.  Though this map is of small size, it contains much interesting information quite clearly presented.  Speed’s maps have always been most popular, and this miniature interpretation by Van den Keere a delightful example of seventeenth century cartography.