Price: $450.00
SKU: 47536
ARTIST: Jacques Bellin
PUBLISHER: Published by Homann Heirs, Nuremberg.
MEDIUM: Copper engraving, hand colored,
DATE: 1762.
EDITION SIZE: 18 1/4 x 21 5/8" (463 x 548mm).
DESCRIPTION: Carte de la Martinique, by Jacques Nicolas Bellin, 1762, is an elegantly engraved map by one of the most prominent French cartographers of the 18th century. Bellin served as the chief hydrographer to the French Navy and was commissioned by the King of France to produce detailed and accurate maps of the known world, particularly its maritime frontiers. This map of Martinique was created during a time when the island held immense strategic and economic value as a key French colony in the Caribbean. It reflects Bellin’s meticulous approach to cartography, showcasing the island’s natural features—mountain ranges, rivers, and coastlines—with exceptional clarity. Settlements, forts, harbors, and roadways are clearly marked, giving viewers a comprehensive picture of both the island’s geography and its colonial infrastructure. Visually striking, the map features a decorative title cartouche that adds a touch of elegance and period charm. The coastal detailing is especially refined, designed to assist with navigation as much as to assert French territorial knowledge and control. As part of Bellin’s larger body of work for the Dépot des cartes et plans de la Marine, this map served both scientific and imperial purposes, reinforcing France’s presence in the West Indies. Today, it remains a prized example of Enlightenment-era cartography—combining artistry, precision, and historical context in a single, beautifully printed sheet. Ideal for collectors of French maps, Caribbean history, or colonial-era works, Bellin’s Carte de la Martinique is as informative as it is visually compelling.nch Navy.
ADDITIONAL INFO: This piece is in a 21.5 x 25.5 inch archival mylar for handling.
CONDITION: Good condition with original wash color.
REFERENCE:
Login / Register
Basket
