Wit, Frederick de

Folio (540 x 340mm.), letterpress contents leaf, 27 hand-coloured double-page etched and engraved charts, numbered in manuscript to match the contents, bound in modern quarter vellum

the condition of this lot is as described in the catalogue description
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Frederick de Wit served his apprenticeship in the Blaeu firm and earned a reputation as "one of the most famous engravers of the second half of the seventeenth century" (Koeman).

This is an early or perhaps even first printing of de Wit's sea-atlas, many of the sheets with the plate numbers present, later erased; many of the charts (notably the British Isles, and two Mediterranean charts) seem to be incomplete preliminary states, lacking names of seas, inland regional names and so on, the British Isles heavily reworked for the "standard" version. The decorative maritime world map found in this atlas bears the signature of the Dutch engraver and artist Romeyn de Hooghe (Shirley 444).