DESCRIPTION: SOLD
Beautifully colored antique nautical chart of the Bay of Naples, Italy by Jacques Ayrouard (Marseilles ca. 1746). From Ayrouard's scarce nautical atlas: "Recueil de Plusiers Plans des Ports et Rades et de Quelque Cartes Particulieres de la Mer Mediterranee".
This fine small-scale copperplate-engraved chart covers the entire Bay of Naples, including Mount Vesuvius, Vigo, Sorrento, and the islands of Ischia (Iscle), Procida (Procita), and Capri (Cabrita). Numerous windmills, guard towers, and other structures are noted. Shows much of Italy's justly famous Amalfi Coast as far to the north as the vicinity of Positano and Praiano.
Mount Vesuvius is shown erupting. According to one source, relatively severe eruptions of Vesuvius occurred in 1660, 1682, 1694, 1698, 1707, 1737. The 1737 event brought disaster to the town of Torre del Greco.
Little information exists on Ayrouard's background but like Henry Michelot, Ayrouard was a pilot of the French royal galley, the Reale, based in Marseille. However, Ayrouard's port plans and charts are very different from Michelot's earlier works. The much larger size (17"x11") and the extensively shaded topography are distinctive characteristics of Ayrouard's plans.
Large compass rose with fleur-de-lis. Plate 35. With the royal privilege.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1746
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Italy
BODY OF WATER: Mediterranean
CONDITION: Very good.
 Clean, on heavy chain-laid paper with no browning. Very well preserved and good margins. One small spot at bottom left.
COLORING: Careful and attractive hand coloring.
ENGRAVER: Louis Corne
SIZE: 17
" x
11 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 88
PRICE: $
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