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This map, titled Carte de l'Isle de Teneriffe, originates from Jacques Nicolas Bellin’s Petite Atlas Maritime, published in 1764. The map offers a comprehensive depiction of Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, noted for its rugged volcanic landscapes and rich maritime history.
The map illustrates the island’s topography, with mountain ranges and the iconic peak of Mount Teide (Le Pic) prominently detailed. Coastal towns and ports such as Oratava, Garachica, and the capital Santa Cruz are intricately marked, reflecting their importance in maritime navigation and trade during the era. The map's scale is meticulously rendered, providing marine leagues that aid in the navigational utility of the document.
In the mid-18th century, Tenerife was a crucial waypoint for Spanish galleons returning from the Americas, making detailed maps of the island vital for navigation. Bellin’s work catered to the needs of sailors and merchants traversing the Atlantic, offering them a reliable tool for their voyages. The inclusion of longitude lines from the Isle of Fer (Hierro), underscores the scientific approach adopted in this map’s creation.
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was among the most important mapmakers of the eighteenth century. In 1721, at only the age of 18, he was appointed Hydrographer to the French Navy. In August 1741, he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographic Office) and was named Official Hydrographer of the French King.
During his term as Official Hydrographer, the Dépôt was the one of the most active centers for the production of sea charts and maps in Europe. Their output included a folio-format sea atlas of France, the Neptune Francois. He also produced a number of sea atlases of the world, including the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise. These gained fame and distinction all over Europe and were republished throughout the eighteenth and even in the nineteenth century.
Bellin also produced smaller format maps such as the 1764 Petit Atlas Maritime, containing 580 finely-detailed charts. He also contributed a number of maps for the 15-volume Histoire Generale des Voyages of Antoine François Prévost.
Bellin set a very high standard of workmanship and accuracy, cementing France's leading role in European cartography and geography during this period. Many of his maps were copied by other mapmakers across the continent.
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