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Description

The Dutch Capital of Brazilian New Holland

Rare separately published map of the area around Recife, published by Wilhelm Hondius and engraved by Claesz Jansz Visscher in Amsterdam.

Details Dutch military operations on Anthony Vaaz Island.  The map is oriented with north at upper right, and includes an map of Fort des Esogades.

Recife was capital of the 17th century New Holland (Dutch Brazil) established by the Dutch West India Company and was called Mauritsstad, the city was eventually recaptured by the Portuguese in 1654, following their victories at the first and second Battle of Guararapes.

Rarity

The map has never appeared at an auction or in a dealer catalog reported by RBH or AMPR.

OCLC locates 1 example of the 1635 edition (BNF) and 1 example of the 1640 edition (Newberry Library).  We note an example of the 1640 edition at the University of Leiden.

Condition Description
Old hand-color. Some uneven toning in the margins, more even through the image. Some small losses and creases at the edges. One small rust hole in the image.
Willem Hondius Biography

Willem Hondius was a Dutch engraver, cartographer and painter who spent most of his life in Poland.

Willem Hondius was one of seven children of Hendrik Hondius the Elder (1573 – c. 1649) and Sara Jansdochter. His father was one of the most important Dutch printmakers and publishers in the early 17th century.  

In 1636 Willem visited Danzig in Poland and relocated there in 1641.

Hondius was supported at the royal court of King Władysław IV Waza. The King awarded him the title of Chalcographus privilegialus (privileged engraver) and Chalcographus Regius (Royal engraver).

He was married twice, first in 1632 in The Hague to Kornelia van den Enden, secondly in 1646 in Danzig to Anna Mackensen, daughter of the Royal Goldsmith.

In August 1651, in the wake of the Khmelnytsky Uprising, Hondius joined the army of Janusz Radziwiłł conquering Kiev. The first ever portrait of the famous Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky was engraved during this campaign.

Nothing is known of Hondius after 1652, though he may have lived until 1658.