Wapenkaart met de wapens en namen van de Heren Veertigen van Delft - Hendrik de Leth

A detailed heraldic engraving by Hendrik de Leth, documenting the coats of arms and names of the Council of Forty in Delft.

This print by the Dutch engraver and cartographer Hendrik de Leth presents a systematic documentation of the heraldic shields belonging to the Heren Veertigen, or the Council of Forty, of the city of Delft. The work functions as a visual archive, organising the coats of arms of prominent local officials in a precise grid format. Each shield is accompanied by the name of the individual and the year of their appointment, providing a clear record of the civic leadership during the eighteenth century.

The composition relies on the repetition of uniform rectangular cells, each containing a shield and text. This structured approach reflects the period interest in taxonomy and the documentation of social hierarchies. The engraving technique is clean and functional, prioritising legibility over decorative flourish. The lines are sharp, allowing the viewer to distinguish the specific charges within each shield, such as lions, trees, and geometric divisions.

As a historical document, the print offers insight into the administrative structure of Delft. The Heren Veertigen were a group of forty citizens who held significant influence in the city government. By compiling these arms, de Leth created a reference tool for contemporaries interested in genealogy and civic history. The work is devoid of extraneous ornamentation, focusing entirely on the transmission of information. It remains a useful resource for researchers studying Dutch urban governance and the visual language of heraldry in the Netherlands. The print is characteristic of the period's output, where cartography and engraving were often used to map not only physical geography but also the social and political structures of the Dutch Republic.