Joan Blaeu portrayer of the world

Blaeu (1596-1673) holds a tellurium in his left hand, a graphic recording instrument that could illustrate the earth’s rotation. Blaeu is showing us that he is a man of world stature and a portrayer of the world. He was the official cartographer of the Dutch East India Company, he was one of the City Fathers and published atlases in ten to twelve volumes in various languages. People gave his globes and wall charts to the nobility as diplomatic gifts. Besides atlases, he and his father published other miscellaneous scientific works