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Description

This 1742 map, created by Jean-Baptiste Nolin, offers a detailed representation of the Luxembourg region and surrounding areas, emphasizing the rivers Meuse (Maas), Moselle, and Sarre. It reflects both the geographical and political landscape of this part of Europe in the mid-18th century, showcasing the territories of Luxembourg, the Archbishopric of Trier, parts of the Duchy of Limburg, the Palatinate, the Duchy of Deux-Ponts, Lorraine, and the Pays Meissen. The map’s intricate cartographic detail, combined with decorative elements, exemplifies the artistic and functional qualities of 18th-century French mapmaking.

The cartouche in the lower-left corner is an ornate feature of the map, framed by allegorical figures and natural motifs. It contains the map’s title and credits, surrounded by embellishments, such as a reclining river deity holding a trident. The map also includes explanatory legends for fortifications and religious sites, as well as a scale indicator in French and German leagues. 

The map title translates as follows: 

The Currents of the Rivers Meuse, Moselle, and Sarre, where are found Luxembourg and the Archbishopric of Trier, part of Limburg, the Palatinate, the Duchy of Deux-Ponts, Lorraine, and the Pays Maissain. Drawn by J.B. Nolin, Geographer to the King. In Paris, at the author’s address on Rue Saint Jacques, at the sign of Place des Victoires, with Royal Privilege. 1742.

The map depicts key cities and fortifications with precision. The rivers serve as vital landmarks, emphasizing their importance for trade, transportation, and territorial boundaries.  

Nolin’s map also reflects the broader cultural and scientific priorities of Enlightenment Europe, where cartography was both a practical tool and an art form. The dedication to accuracy and aesthetics, as seen in this map, made works like these valuable resources for administrators, military planners, and scholars of the period. This map stands as a testament to the skill of Nolin and the tradition of French cartography during the reign of Louis XV. 

Jean-Baptiste Nolin Biography

Jean-Baptiste Nolin (ca. 1657-1708) was a French engraver who worked at the turn of the eighteenth century. Initially trained by Francois de Poilly, his artistic skills caught the eye of Vincenzo Coronelli when the latter was working in France. Coronelli encouraged the young Nolin to engrave his own maps, which he began to do. 

Whereas Nolin was a skilled engraver, he was not an original geographer. He also had a flair for business, adopting monikers like the Geographer to the Duke of Orelans and Engerver to King XIV. He, like many of his contemporaries, borrowed liberally from existing maps. In Nolin’s case, he depended especially on the works of Coronelli and Jean-Nicholas de Tralage, the Sieur de Tillemon. This practice eventually caught Nolin in one of the largest geography scandals of the eighteenth century.

In 1700, Nolin published a large world map which was seen by Claude Delisle, father of the premier mapmaker of his age, Guillaume Delisle. Claude recognized Nolin’s map as being based in part on his son’s work. Guillaume had been working on a manuscript globe for Louis Boucherat, the chancellor of France, with exclusive information about the shape of California and the mouth of the Mississippi River. This information was printed on Nolin’s map. The court ruled in the Delisles’ favor after six years. Nolin had to stop producing that map, but he continued to make others.

Calling Nolin a plagiarist is unfair, as he was engaged in a practice that practically every geographer adopted at the time. Sources were few and copyright laws weak or nonexistent. Nolin’s maps are engraved with considerable skill and are aesthetically engaging.

Nolin’s son, also Jean-Baptiste (1686-1762), continued his father’s business.