Gerard Valck. La Mer Mediterranee, 1695.

Gerard Valck (1652–1726)
La Mer Mediterranée
Amsterdam, 1695
Engraving on paper
[Sheet size: 21 x 35 3/4 in.]

This grand 1695 map of the Mediterranean Sea by Gerard Valck exemplifies the precision and artistry of Dutch Golden Age cartography. Centered on one of the most important regions for trade, exploration, and cultural exchange in the early modern world, Valck’s map details the coasts of Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant with remarkable accuracy and aesthetic richness. Decorative cartouches, rhumb lines, and sailing ships speak to the era’s navigational ambitions and maritime rivalries. As a pupil and collaborator of Johannes Blaeu and later a leading Amsterdam publisher, Valck contributed to the dissemination of high-quality geographical knowledge during a pivotal moment in European expansion.