Sanson

ref. 2570 — Americas: Paris Par N Sanson . Chez Pierre Mariette. 1656-8. Copper engraved map of the Caribbean by Nichols sanson from his"Cartes Generales De Toutes Les Parties Du Monde". Original outline colour; verso blank. The map shows all the islands of the Caribbean with the southern tip of Florida and the coasts to the south. Decorative title cartouche . Good impression; slight dampstaining to edges far from plate ; small stain just below cartouche. Nicolas Sanson 1600-1667 is generally acknowledged as the founder of the great French school of geographers and cartographers that supplanted the Dutch as the leading European map-makers. His work was acclaimed for its geographical accuracy and high standard of engraving. As a consequence his many maps received a wide diffusion. His career marks the start of the process by which Paris superseded Amsterdam as the centre of European map production. Nicolas studied Ancient History as a young man and this awoke in him an interest in classical geography. His first map of ancient Gaul was made in 1618 when he was only 18. Sanson had three sons Nicolas 1626-1648 Guillaume d.1703 and Adrien d.1708 and a grandson Pierre Moullard-Sanson d.1730 all of whom were involved in the family's map-making activities. After Sanson settled in Paris his work came to the attention of King Louis XIII who eventually appointed Sanson Geographe Ordinaire du Roi one of whose duties was to tutor the King in geography. Sanson published some 300 maps in his career though his first most famous atlas the folio "Cartes Generales De Toutes Les Parties Du Monde" was not published until 1658. He would go into partnership with Pierre Mariette a publisher of prints. Sanson also prepared a series of quarto atlases of the different continents. These scarce atlases are more frequently encountered in the Dutch piracy engraved by Anthony d'Winter first published in 1683. The Sanson atlases are rarely found with a standard set of maps; the practice seems to have been that additional or revised plates would be inserted as available. After Sanson's death the business was continued by his two surviving sons and grandson in partnership with and later superseded by Alexis Hubert Jaillot. Credit must go Jaillot and Pierre Duval for re-engraving his maps many still unprinted at his death and re-publishing them in face of strong competition from the Dutch who continued to dominate the market until the end of the century. Americas Caribbean Antilles Lucayan Archipelago Paris Par N Sanson ... Chez Pierre Mariette. 1656-8 unknown