80 - [Netherlands - Wall Map]. VAN DEN BERGE, Pieter.

[Netherlands - Wall Map]. VAN DEN BERGE, Pieter. Watergraafs or Diemer-meer. Amsterdam, ca. 1719. Large black copperplate engraving printed on four sheets mounted on canvas at a later date, 93 x 117 cm, hand-colored. A rare and remarkable topographic wall map of the Watergraafsmeer, a former lake located east of Amsterdam, which was drained in 1629 and gradually transformed into a prosperous agricultural area dotted with gardens and country estates. A fine example. Engraved and published in 1719 by Pieter van den Berge, at the request of the water management authorities, this map offers a particularly detailed depiction of the geometric layout of the polder, including its canals, dikes, roads, and landholdings. The care taken in depicting the gardens and estates attests to the transformation of this former lake-filled area into a landscaped and cultivated landscape. The map’s ornamentation is dominated by an imposing decorative ribbon bearing the title, flanked by the coats of arms of B. Scott, J. van Vliet, P. Hayman, G. P. Michielsz, W. van Schie, G. van Hoven, and D. van Genegen. The coat of arms of P. van der Meulen, along with two allegorical cartouches, complete the decoration in the lower part of the map.