Elaborate title page from Jan Jansson's Atlas contractus, sive atlantis majoris compendium, published posthumously by Jansson's Heirs in 1666. The image depicts a group of cartographers, including Gerard Mercator, Jodocus Hondius, and Jan Jansson himself, poring over a map of the world in the foreground. A copy of the Atlas, open to a map of Holland, rests at the feet of the cartographers in the lower-left corner. Jansson (the prominent figure in red staring directly at the reader is pointing emphatically on the map to the supposed Northwest Passage.



The kings, emperors, sultans, and other leaders of the world look on from the background. The mighty figure of Atlas holds a globe aloft, while four putti representing the continents of the world play around the base of a column.



Engraved by Johannes Visscher from a drawing by Zacharias Webber. Original hand-colour with gold highlights. [WLD4517]