The firm of Van Keulen was founded around 1678 by Johannes van Keulen (1654-1715) and in 1680 he published the 'Zee Atlas'. The multi volume 'Zee Fakkel' followed soon after. On his 50th birthday he left the management of the firm to his talented son Gerard (1678-1726). Gerard set about replacing many of his father’s sea charts the first of which was published in 1698. This decorative sea chart centred on the island of Sardinia is orientated to the east. The coast of Africa is on the right and that of Corsica is shown to the left. Above is a large inset depicting the island of Tabarca off the coast of Barbary. This example is from the third part of 'De Nieuwe Groote Lichtende Zee-Fakkel' dated 1724 which covered the Mediterranean Sea. De Vries, Schilder etc. 'The Van Keulen Cartography Amsterdam 1680-1885', pp. 44 & 202-5; Koeman IV p. 381 no. 106 st. 3; Koeman 'The Sea on Paper' p. 37-8 no. 8.