| Method | Copper engraved with hand colour |
| Artist | Robert de Vaugondy, Didier |
| Published | [Robert de Vaugondy, Paris, c.1782] |
| Dimensions | 140 x 258 mm |
| Notes |
A late eighteenth century map of the world in two hemispheres, engraved by Didier Robert de Vaugondy after an earlier double hemisphere world map by his father Gilles, first issued in 1750. As the map's title suggests, this new plate has been updated according to new geographical observations. The Antarctic is almost completely absent, apart from a small section of coast representing Bouvet's Cape Circoncision. The majority of Australia's southern and eastern coasts are also unmapped, though a tentative dotted line marks spaces between known coasts. New Guinea is tentatively shown as joined to Carpentaria. In North America, a large inland sea takes up much of western Canada. The coasts and borders of the continents are outlined in hand colour, and basic regional divisions and putative coastlines are marked as dotted lines. Gilles Robert de Vaugondy (1688-1766) and his son Didier (1723-1786) were French cartographers, publishers, and globe-makers, responsible for the publication of the Atlas Universel (1757), one of the most significant cartographical achievements of the 18th century. The de Vaugondy family were descendants of the cartographer Nicholas Sanson d'Abbeville, and inherited many of his plates. These were reissued with updated astronomical observations and corrected longitudinal and latitudinal information in the Atlas Universel. Didier continued reissuing the Atlas after his father's death, and was appointed geographer to Louis XV later in life. Gilles often signed his maps simply as Sr. (or Sieur) Robert, whilst Didier usually used 'Robert de Vaugondy' as his signature, occassionally adding 'fils' to clearly distinguish himself from his father. Condition: Vertical folds, as issued. Top edge of sheet trimmed close to neatline, without loss to map. Repaired insect holes to bottom right edge of sheet, not affecting map. Blank on verso. |
| Framing | mounted |
| Price | £200.00 |
| Stock ID | 52560 |