‘Le Pave de la Grand Sale de Bourgeois.’

One of the earliest available records of Tasman’s voyages 1642-1645 and the source of the first printed map of Australia, published in 1663 by Melchisedech Thevenot and sold with the accompanying architectural elevation. The floor plan of the famous double hemisphere world map, which was inlaid in copper and marble on the mosaic floor, located in the Citizen’s Hall (Burgerzaal / Sale des Bourgeois) in Amsterdam.  It was also the inspiration for the floor at the entrance of the Mitchell Library, Sydney, New South Wales. Visitors to the Citizen’s Hall entered the enormous chamber through the portals on either end of the building, marked on the floor plan ‘F’ and ‘A’ and on the accompanying architectural engraved elevation as ‘A’. The visitors would have been presented with the splendour of Campen’s designs, reflecting the riches and power of Holland’s maritime trading empire.

On either side of the entrance the sculptured decorations are of Justice identified by the sword and the scales, to her left is Death and on the right Retribution, with instruments of torture. Justice treads on Avarice (King Midas) and Malice (symbolised by an old woman with snakes in her hair). The frieze depicts earthly possessions while at centre the eye of God is watching. Within the arch there are panels depicting the harness of Temperance and the sword of Justice as well as the symbols of Fortitude: the lion skin and Hercules’ club. The border above the window shows the four virtues of good governance: Prudence (with mirror), Justice (blindfolded, with scales), Temperance (with harness) and Vigilance (with torch and crowing cock). Like Atlas and Peace these were the models used to cast the bronze sculptures outside. Above the entrances to the galleries, the pendentives have personifications of the four elements on either side. Earth, nursing a child, opposite Water, carrying a ship, and Fire, from a country on the equator, opposite Air. Behind Fire we can see the blazing sun, a wind nymph at her feet is fanning the flames. She is holding a bowl with ashes from which the legendary Phoenix arises. Air is holding a peacock against herself, the animal in her other hand is a chameleon. The planets are found in the galleries, there are seven Roman gods plus the goddess of earth, Cybele. They have been arranged as the planets were thought to travel through space: in a circle around the earth, as can be seen in the marble map in the Citizen’s Hall.

References:
Schilder, map 66, (1661) Shirley, 423 (1661).