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Description

Nice detailed regional map of Northwestern France and Belgium.

This map, titled Picardie et Pays Bas Catholiques, was created by Nicolas Sanson and published in 1648. Sanson, widely regarded as the father of French cartography, crafted this map during a period of significant geopolitical and cultural transformation in Europe. The map details the regions of Picardy and the Catholic Netherlands, presenting a highly detailed view of the towns, rivers, and territorial boundaries that characterized the political landscape of northern France and the Low Countries during the mid-17th century. 

The map prominently displays Picardy, a historic province in northern France, alongside the Catholic Netherlands, which were part of the Habsburg dominion. Borders are clearly delineated in vibrant hand-colored outlines, distinguishing the various duchies, counties, and lordships that defined the region's fragmented political structure. Notable features include the Pas de Calais, the Strait of Dover connecting the English Channel to the North Sea, and the adjacent coastline of England, which is partially included in the northwest corner of the map. Major towns such as Amiens, Lille, Arras, and Douai are identified, alongside rivers like the Somme and the Escaut, which were critical for trade and military strategy. 

The map reflects the geopolitical realities of 1648, the year the Peace of Westphalia was signed, ending the Thirty Years' War and significantly altering the territorial dynamics of Europe. This period marked the decline of Habsburg influence in the Low Countries and the solidification of France as a dominant power under Louis XIV.   

Nicolas Sanson Biography

Nicholas Sanson (1600-1667) is considered the father of French cartography in its golden age from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth. Over the course of his career he produced over 300 maps; they are known for their clean style and extensive research. Sanson was largely responsible for beginning the shift of cartographic production and excellence from Amsterdam to Paris in the later-seventeenth century.

Sanson was born in Abbeville in Picardy. He made his first map at age twenty, a wall map of ancient Gaul. Upon moving to Paris, he gained the attention of Cardinal Richelieu, who made an introduction of Sanson to King Louis XIII. This led to Sanson's tutoring of the king and the granting of the title ingenieur-geographe du roi

His success can be chalked up to his geographic and research skills, but also to his partnership with Pierre Mariette. Early in his career, Sanson worked primarily with the publisher Melchior Tavernier. Mariette purchased Tavernier’s business in 1644. Sanson worked with Mariette until 1657, when the latter died. Mariette’s son, also Pierre, helped to publish the Cartes générales de toutes les parties du monde (1658), Sanson' atlas and the first French world atlas.