|
||
|
|
|
|
One of the Earliest Carte-a-Figures Maps
Rare early map Carte-a-Figures style map of France by Guillaume Blaeu, who was then still calling himself Guillaume Janssonius. This is one of Blaeu's earliest maps and the first map of France to be decorated with a panels of city views and costumed figures.
The map is richly detailed, combining geographic, historical, and artistic elements that reflect the culture and politics of 17th-century France. It prominently features inset views of notable cities, including Poitiers, Rouen (Roan), Orléans (Orleans), Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux (Bordeauxaux), Tours, Angers, and Bourges. These city views are meticulously engraved and provide a glimpse of their layouts and architectural highlights as they appeared during this period.
The map also includes three portraits of significant figures in early 17th-century France.
- Henri IV, King of France and Navarre (Henricus IIII D.G. Franciae et Navarrae Rex), is depicted in armor as a symbol of strength and authority. Henri IV (1553–1610) was the first monarch of the Bourbon dynasty and is celebrated for the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted religious tolerance to Protestants.
- Louis XIII, Dauphin of France (Lodovicus D.G. Delphinus Galliae), is shown as a young boy. Born in 1601, Louis XIII would succeed his father in 1610 and rule until 1643.
- Maria de’ Medici, Queen of France and Navarre (Maria de Medicis D.G. Franciae et Navarrae Regina), the Italian-born consort of Henri IV and mother to Louis XIII. She is depicted in elaborate Renaissance attire that underscores her status and prominence.
Surrounding the map are six costumed figures that reflect Blaeu’s ethnographic interest in the diversity of France’s regional and social types. The allegorical figure of Gallia, a female representation of France, stands near the coat of arms, dressed in classical drapery and wearing a crown to symbolize the nation. The other figures shown:
- A nobleman (Galliae Nobilitas) dressed in elaborate garments with a plumed hat exemplifies the French aristocracy.
- A peasant woman (Galliae Femina Rustica) and her male counterpart (Galliae Vir Rusticus) represent the rural population, highlighting France’s agrarian economy.
- A figure identified as a merchant or scholar (Exoriam Mercatorum Oratus) holds a book or map, symbolizing commerce and intellectual pursuits, emphasizing France’s role in trade and scholarship.
- Ashepherd or rural worker (Rusticorum Primum) is shown carrying a bundle of wood, illustrating the labor and toil of the countryside.
The map is framed with decorative elements, including a central coat of arms of France adorned with fleur-de-lis and vibrant allegorical imagery.
Rarity
An exceptional rarity.
This is the second example we have offered for sale in (1992-2024).
States
First state: "Excudebat Guilielmus Janssonius.", engraver's name in plinth of title cartouche barely visible. (Here in the collection of the Amsterdam Universiteitsbibliotheek)
Second state: Engraver Josua van dan Ende's name made more visible ("Jᵃ. vanden Ende fec").
Third state: "Excudebat Guilielmus Blaeuw", decorative borders masked during printing.
Fourth state: "LE ROYAUME DE FRANCE." replaces subtitle "Nova Galliae descriptio...", decorative borders cut off.
Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638) was a prominent Dutch geographer and publisher. Born the son of a herring merchant, Blaeu chose not fish but mathematics and astronomy for his focus. He studied with the famous Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, with whom he honed his instrument and globe making skills. Blaeu set up shop in Amsterdam, where he sold instruments and globes, published maps, and edited the works of intellectuals like Descartes and Hugo Grotius. In 1635, he released his atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, sive, Atlas novus.
Willem died in 1638. He had two sons, Cornelis (1610-1648) and Joan (1596-1673). Joan trained as a lawyer, but joined his father’s business rather than practice. After his father’s death, the brothers took over their father’s shop and Joan took on his work as hydrographer to the Dutch East India Company. Later in life, Joan would modify and greatly expand his father’s Atlas novus, eventually releasing his masterpiece, the Atlas maior, between 1662 and 1672.
![[ France ] Galliae seu Franciae Tabula, qua omnes Provinciae, Viae angiariae, et aliae res notatu dignae distincte et accurate ostenduntur . . .](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/98436.jpg)
![[ Cultural Revolution Maps - Map of France / A Sketch Map of Events of May 1968] [Fagu di tu - Faguo ren min ge ming dou zheng yi tu ]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/88909.jpg)