Van der Aa, Pieter “L’Europe”

Pieter Van der Aa.  “L’Europe". 

Leiden: P. Vander Aa, ca. 1705.  9 x 11 ¾ (image).  Engraving.  Hand color.   Small loss of printed information near Iceland expertly filled.  Expertly lined with rice paper.  Else, very good condition.   

A Dutch cartographer who started at an early age, being apprenticed to a bookseller at the age of nine, Pieter (or Pierre) Van der Aa (1659-1733) is well known for his decorative maps.  He published maps and views at the beginning of the era of scientific cartography, but he retained in his works many of the decorative features of the golden age of Dutch cartography.  This map of Europe is a fine example of his work.