Jan Janssonius
Johannes "Jan" Janssonius (1588, in Arnhem – buried 11 July 1664, Amsterdam), also known in English as Jan Jansson, was a Dutch cartographer and publisher, who lived and worked in Amsterdam in the 17th century. He is regarded as one of the notable figures in the Golden Age of Dutch cartography (c. 1570s–1670s), continuing the work of his famous father-in-law Jodocus Hondius.
Also recorded as Johannes Janssonius · Jan Jansson · Johann Janssonius · Jean Jansson
Jan Janssonius
Athanasius Kircher · This file comes from Polona Digital Library and is available under the URL · Public domain
- Born
- 1588.
- Nationality
- Dutch Republic.
- Occupation
- cartographer, publisher, printseller and visual artist.
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Documentary summary
Johannes "Jan" Janssonius (1588, in Arnhem – buried 11 July 1664, Amsterdam), also known in English as Jan Jansson, was a Dutch cartographer and publisher, who lived and worked in Amsterdam in the 17th century. He is regarded as one of the notable figures in the Golden Age of Dutch cartography (c. 1570s–1670s), continuing the work of his famous father-in-law Jodocus Hondius.
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Note VALÉORINE
Jan Janssonius (1588–1664) was a Dutch cartographer, printseller and publisher, among other activities. Born in Arnhem, the cartographer died in Amsterdam. Jan Janssonius worked in Amsterdam and Arnhem. Languages used include Dutch.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Authority files
wikidata · Q949492 · wikipedia · Jan Janssonius
In this article
Early life
Early life
Janssonius was born in Arnhem in 1588, the son of Jan Janszoon the Elder, a publisher and bookseller. In 1612, at the age of 24, he married Elisabeth de Hondt, the daughter of famous cartographers Jodocus Hondius and Colette van den Keere. His wife Elisabeth died in 1627, and he married Elisabeth Carlier two years later in 1629. He worked in the family business of his parents-in-law, along with his brothers-in-law, the cartographers Henricus Hondius II and Jodocus II.
Career
Career
He published his first maps, of France and Italy, in 1616. By about 1623, Janssonius had begun acquiring bookstores in several European cities, including Frankfurt am Main, Danzig, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Königsberg, Geneva, and Lyon. These bookshops operated alongside his publishing activities and provided outlets for the distribution of his maps and atlases. From about 1630 to 1638 he was in partnership with his brother-in-law Henricus Hondius II, and together they issued new editions of the Mercator–Hondius atlases under the name Mercator/Hondius/Janssonius.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1588
Jan Janssonius was born in 1588.
1664
Jan Janssonius died at Amsterdam.
Atlas publications
Under Janssonius, the Hondius atlas project was steadily expanded. The work developed into a large multi-volume atlas that later became known as Atlas Maior. By 1660, it consisted of eleven volumes and included contributions from about one hundred credited authors and engravers. Additional volumes were issued as the series grew. These included works devoted to maritime geography, the ancient world, and collections of city views and plans. One of these was the Atlas Maritimus, a maritime atlas published in 1657. Janssonius also issued an extensive atlas of city plans, often referred to as a Townatlas. The final volume of the series was a celestial atlas created by the German-Dutch cartographer Andreas Cellarius. Published in 1660, it formed the eleventh volume of Atlas Maior.
![[Scale: ca 1:18,142,000] (W 82̊35ʹ - E 35̊00ʹ / N 10̊00ʹ S 62̊30ʹ) Map published in the Dutch editions of Janssonius' atlas between 1650 and 1657: Niewen atlas, ofte werelt-besch rijvinge. [Size: 438 x 551 mm]. 1 map. Without text on the back. In a collection. Bound in mottled brown calfskin (17th century), spine with 7 bands, gilded iron in the bands. Dishes decorated with a double golden fillet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Mar_di_%C3%86thiopia_vulgo_Oceanus_%C3%86thiopicus._R_2%3D_22._Pi%C3%A8ce_38.jpg/800px-Mar_di_%C3%86thiopia_vulgo_Oceanus_%C3%86thiopicus._R_2%3D_22._Pi%C3%A8ce_38.jpg)
[Scale: ca 1:18,142,000] (W 82̊35ʹ - E 35̊00ʹ / N 10̊00ʹ S 62̊30ʹ) Map published in the Dutch editions of Janssonius' atlas between 1650 and 1657: Niewen atlas, ofte werelt-besch rijvinge. [Size: 438 x 551 mm]. 1 map. Without text on the back. In a collection. Bound in mottled brown calfskin (17th century), spine with 7 bands, gilded iron in the bands. Dishes decorated with a double golden fillet
Johannes Janssonius · This file was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the Bibliothèque de la Sorbonne as part of a cooperation project with Wikimédia France.
![[Scale: ca 1:2,315,000] (W 77̊24' - W 66̊28' / N 47̊24' - N 35̊59') State 2, around 1660: with the dedication of Janssonius to Gualtherus De Raedt. Title in a decorative cartouche with the arms of the United Provinces. Dedication in a cartridge to the arms of De Raet. Scale in an ornamental cartouche. [Size: 450 x 525 mm]. 1 map. In a collection. Bound in marbled brown calfskin (17th century), spi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Belgii_novi%2C_Angli%C3%A6_nov%C3%A6%2C_et_partis_Virgini%C3%A6_novissima_delineatio._R_2%3D_22._Pi%C3%A8ce_43.jpg/800px-Belgii_novi%2C_Angli%C3%A6_nov%C3%A6%2C_et_partis_Virgini%C3%A6_novissima_delineatio._R_2%3D_22._Pi%C3%A8ce_43.jpg)
[Scale: ca 1:2,315,000] (W 77̊24' - W 66̊28' / N 47̊24' - N 35̊59') State 2, around 1660: with the dedication of Janssonius to Gualtherus De Raedt. Title in a decorative cartouche with the arms of the United Provinces. Dedication in a cartridge to the arms of De Raet. Scale in an ornamental cartouche. [Size: 450 x 525 mm]. 1 map. In a collection. Bound in marbled brown calfskin (17th century), spi
Johannes Janssonius · This file was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the Bibliothèque de la Sorbonne as part of a cooperation project with Wikimédia France.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q949492: Jan Janssonius
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Jan Janssonius”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.RKD Research. research.rkd.nl.
- 2.Vintage Maps. Johannes Janssonius (*1588–†1664).
- 3.Weduwen, Arthur der. Dutch and Flemish Newspapers of the Seventeenth Century, 1618-1700. brill.com. 2017. 978-90-04-34189-0.
- 4.Johannes Janssonius. British Museum.
- 5."Venezuela with the Southern Part of New Andalusia". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
- 6.Map Maker Biography: Johannes Janssonius (1588–1664). New World Cartographic.
- 7.JANSSONIUS, Johannes. Daniel Crouch Rare Books.
- 8.van Egmond, Marco. 'Atlas maior' by Blaeu: The result of a true atlas fight. Utrecht University. 2024-05-27.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Peter van der Krogt (ed.): Koeman's atlantes Neerlandici, Vol. 1: The folio atlases published by Gerard Mercator, Jodocus Hondius, Henricus Hondius, Johannes Janssonius and their successors, ’t Goy-Houten 1997,
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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