Original antique map of Transyvania by Willem Blaeu. It was featured in his atlas "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum". The hand colouring is believed to be original.
Blaeu was a prominent Dutch mapmaker, and his maps are considered to be amongst the finest examples of 17th century cartography.
Born the son of a herring merchant, Blaeu chose not fish but mathematics and astronomy for his focus. He studied with the famous Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, with whom he honed his instrument and globe making skills. Blaeu set up shop in Amsterdam, where he sold instruments and globes, published maps, and edited the works of intellectuals like Descartes and Hugo Grotius.
