Among the famous Dutch cartographers, Jacob Roelofs van Deventer was known for his unique style of mapping. On request of Phillip II, Jacob Roelofs van Deventer created the maps of various cities and towns.
Jacob Roelofs van Deventer completed his education at University of Leuvan in the field of medicine and mathematics. By the mid 16th century, Jacob Roelofs van Deventer had drafted the maps of the five Dutch provinces of Holland, Gelre, Brabant, Friesland and Zeeland. Impressed by his works, the Spanish king, Phillip II commissioned the cartographer to create maps of the cities and towns of the region. The maps were accurately done to facilitate the king who desired to lay seize on the provinces. Forts, buildings and gates were marked on the maps.
The geometrical accuracy of the maps was one of the prime traits of Jacob Roelofs van Deventer. Watercolor was used in almost all the maps of Jacob Roelofs van Deventer. A unique technique called Sampling had been used by Jacob Roelofs van Deventer to locate the points where there was a directional change of roads. Of the several maps created by Jacob Roelofs van Deventer, most have survived the ravages of time.
During his entire lifetime, Jacob Roelofs van Deventer created around 300 maps. However, only 222 maps could be preserved.