Ukrainae pars quae Pokutia Vulgo dicitur.

This is a scarce Joan Blaeu first edition of the map of the western parts of Ukraine and vicinity covering from the Carpathian Mountains east along the Dniester River east to Moldova. Includes parts of Poland including Krakow. The entire map is depicted in extraordinary detail, offering both topographical and political information, with forests and mountains beautifully rendered in profile.

This map was originally based on Guillaume le Vasseur de Beauplan’s map. Beauplan, commissioned by the King of Poland (Wladyslaw IV Vasa), produced detailed maps of the Ukraine, based on his surveys. Later, Joan Blaeu created four maps of Ukraine based on Beauplan’s work detailing the regions of Pokuttya, Podillya, Bratslavschyna and Kyiv. This is the first map in that series.
A later state with the imprint of Covens and Mortier was printed shortly following the 1721 acquisition of the original plates.

The map is colored by the master colorist Dirck Jansz. van Santen. His use of color was much freer than that of other colorists. The tone of the colors was made to complement the gold he used so lavishly. In his best work two other costly pigments, ultramarine and carmine are found in large amounts, mostly set against gold. Ultramarine and gold were a very popular color combination in the seventeenth century. Van Santen combined the colors in a somewhat impressionistic, vivid manner. He avoided monotonous, monochromatic, dull surfaces and lines. Characteristic of his style is a variation of color, also of borders and edging for both maps and illustrations.
Moreover, he added elements to the design, such as patterns and flower motifs to the clothing of figures, veining of stones or map frontier lines.
A similar example also colored by Van Santen is in "The Atlas Van der Hagen" from the National Library of the Netherlands.
More about the Dutch master colorist Dirk Jansz van Santen. [+]