TABULA AQUITANIAE
£345
This is a large and attractive map of southwestern France, fully engraved with mountains, forests, roads and cities. Decorative borders surround the three insets: fortification plans of Bayonne and Blaye, and a fine vignette bird's-eye view of the city of Bordeaux. The map carries good detail of the Pyrenees and a highly detailed depiction of the Canal du Midi, here labeled the Canal Royal. This fantastic undertaking connected the Atlantic (via the Garonne River) with the Mediterranean in one of the most incredible engineering feats of the 17th century. It was opened in 1681 after fourteen years of construction under the direction of Pierre Paul Riquet. The map is further embellished with a large, allegorical title cartouche.
Good original colour.
Very good condition.
code : M3934
Cartographer : Homann Family
Date : 1720 Nuremberg
Size : 48.5*57 cms
availability : Available
Price : £345
Johann Baptist Homann (1664-1724) started his career in Amsterdam as an apprentice with the Danckerts family before returning to Nuremberg to establish himself in business in 1702.
The firm quickly became the principal geographical publishers in Germany and in 1715 Homann was appointed Geographer to the Holy Roman Emperor and he was also a member of the Prussian Royal Academy of Sciences.
His publications included the "Neuer Atlas Ueber Die Gantze Welt ..." in 1707-. The "Grosser Atlas ..." of 1716- and the "Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperioa" in c.1720, as well as many others. Johann died in 1724 and was succeeded by his son Johann Christoph who died in 1730. After his death the firm took the name Homann's Heirs and continued thereafter until 1813. Publications with the Homann's Heirs' imprint included the "Grosser Atlas" in 1731, Doppelmays'r "Atlas Coelestis ..." in 1742 and the "Atlas Geographicus Maior ..." in 1753-, amongst others. Throughout this entire period the firm were the leading map publishers in Germany, employing a number of very important cartographers
