Gerard VAN KEULEN

Gerard van Keulen was born in 1678 in Amsterdam and died there in 1726 or 1727. He was part of the prominent Van Keulen cartographic dynasty, a family that produced maritime charts and instruments in Amsterdam for over two centuries. His father, Johannes van Keulen, founded the family publishing house and established its reputation in maritime navigation. Under his father’s direct guidance and training, Gerard developed expertise as a copper engraver, mathematician, and chart maker, preparing him to assume leadership of the family enterprise.

Van Keulen significantly advanced Dutch maritime publishing and hydrography during the early 18^th century, formally taking over the family business in 1714. That same year, he was appointed the official hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company (VOC), a position that granted him access to highly restricted, proprietary navigation data from secret VOC archives. He utilised this empirical information to correct, refine, and greatly expand the family’s monumental multi-volume sea atlas, De Nieuwe Groote Lichtende Zee-Fakkel (The New Shining Sea Torch). Known for his technical skill in copperplate engraving and dedication to scientific accuracy, Van Keulen incorporated up-to-date observations from contemporary explorers into his charts, which featured distinctively precise coastlines alongside detailed compass roses and decorative cartouches.

Gerard van Keulen is remembered as a highly skilled engraver and hydrographer who merged strict mathematical accuracy with commercial publishing to elevate the standard of European nautical charting.