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This finely engraved and attractively hand-colored map of the Iberian Peninsula was issued by Covens & Mortier in Amsterdam, drawing heavily from the earlier cartographic work of Guillaume Delisle.
The map presents Spain and Portugal as they were understood in the middle of the 18th century, with political divisions colored to reflect the historic regional kingdoms of Spain alongside the independent kingdom of Portugal.
The cartouche is particularly elaborate, depicting Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, and Chloris, the goddess of spring and flowers, in an allegorical celebration of fertility and abundance, themes associated with the lands of Iberia. Such decorative elements are characteristic of the Dutch and French cartographic traditions of the period, where symbolic figures often elevated geographic representation into the realm of art.
Geographically, the map offers a detailed rendering of the peninsula’s cities, rivers, mountain ranges, and coastal features, extending to include the Balearic Islands and the nearby coast of North Africa. Principal cities such as Madrid, Lisbon, Seville, and Barcelona are prominently noted, and the Strait of Gibraltar is clearly marked, emphasizing the strategic maritime importance of the region.
Covens & Mortier was one of the largest and most successful publishing firms in Dutch history and continued in business for over a century. Pierre Mortier the Elder (1661-1711) had obtained a privilege in 1690 to distribute the works of French geographers in the Netherlands. After his widow continued the business for several years, Cornelis (1699-1783) took over in 1719.
In 1721, Mortier forged a partnership with Johannes Covens (1697-1774), who had recently married Cornelis’ sister. They published under the joint name of Covens & Mortier. In 1774, upon the death of his father, Johannes Covens II (1722-1794) took over his father’s share. In 1778, the company changed its name to J. Covens & Zoon, or J. Covens & Son.
Covens II’s son, Cornelis (1764-1825), later inherited the business and brought Petrus Mortier IV back into the fold. Petrus was the great-grandson of Petrus Mortier I. From 1794, the business was called Mortier, Covens & Zoon, or Mortier, Covens, & Son.
The business specialized in publishing French geographers including Deslisle, Jaillot, Janssonius, and Sanson. They also published atlases, for example a 1725 reissue of Frederik de Wit’s Atlas Major and an atlas, with additions, from the works of Guillaume Delisle. There were also Covens & Mortier pocket atlases and town atlases. The company profited from acquiring plates from other geographers as well. For example, the purchased Pieter van der Aa’s plates in 1730. Finally, they also compiled a few maps in house. At their height, they had the largest collection of geographic prints ever assembled in Amsterdam.
![Bornnes [with:] Zahara](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/96138.jpg)
