Map of Holland and Utrecht, 1589

This engraving offers a detailed bird's-eye view of the Dutch landscape, oriented with East at the top. It features a central compass rose, numerous sailing vessels, and a decorative cartouche at the bottom flanked by two putti. In the lower-left corner, a pair of dividers rests over a scale bar, emphasizing the mathematical precision used to document the territory.

The map reflects the 16th-century intersection of art, geometry, and natural philosophy, where the act of surveying the 'theater of the world' was seen as a way to uncover the rational order of creation. As a work by Jan Saenredam, a key figure in Haarlem Mannerism, it demonstrates how scientific cartography was elevated through the aesthetic standards of the late Renaissance.