Two excellent views of London, showing Whitehall and a scene on the Thames.
Mallet's multi-volume work is one of the most famous and comprehensive illustrated works of the 17th century, prized for its excellent illustrations and strong engraving quality.
Whitehall, located in Westminster, was once the primary residence of the British monarchs. Henry VIII acquired York Place, which he later expanded and renamed Whitehall Palace, from Cardinal Wolsey.
Alain Mannesson Mallet (1630-1706) was a French mapmaker and engineer who served in the armies of Louis XIV. After rising through the ranks, Mallet was appointed as Inspector of Fortifications, a job which also required mathematical skills and which made him a competent military engineer. Eventually, he joined the court of Louis XIV at Versailles, where he taught math and focused on writing.
Mallet is best known for his Description de L’Univers, first published in 1683, in five volumes. A wide-ranging geographical work, the Description included textual descriptions of the countries of the world, as well as maps of the celestial sky and the ancient and modern worlds. The Description continued to be published until the early eighteenth century. He also published a work in three volumes on warfare (1684) and a primer on geometry (1702).