In The Netherlands, the century after 1580 is described as the 'Golden Age' (het Gouden Eeuw).
The work of exceptional cartographers such as Gerardus Mercator (1512–94), Jocodus Hondius (1563–1612), and Johannes Blaeu (1596–1673) was driven by the Dutch republic's status as the leading maritime power of the age.
For many, the work of these men represents the pinnacle of European map-making.