DESCRIPTION:
Attractive antique copper-engraved map by Moll of the lower tip of Brittany (Bretagne), France from roughly the Pointe de Corsen, past Pointe de Kermorvan, le Conquet, Brest, and Crozon. This scarce map is titled "The Marquisate and Government of Bell-Isle Divided into its Four Parishes of the Palace, Bangor, Lomaria, and Sauzon."
One unusual feature of this map is the large number of mills the cartographer identifies, perhaps because their high elevation, like that of church steeples, would have provided coastal mariners with navigational reference points ashore. Together Moll's emphasis on features of great height and the rhumb lines with compass rose, suggest the original inspiration for this map is derived from a nautical chart. Verso with map of Belle Isle, France in the Sea of Bretagne.
Herman Moll (circa 1654-1732)
Herman Moll distinguished himself as an eminent cartographer, engraver, and publisher, gaining substantial recognition for his work during the latter part of the 17th and the early 18th centuries. Originally based in London, Moll began his profession as an engraver, producing work as early as the 1670s. It wasn't long before he expanded his repertoire to include cartography and map publishing, often collaborating with renowned cartographers and publishers of his time.
With the dawn of the 18th century, Moll's career took off. His cartographic portfolio was impressively varied, spanning maps of England and the British Isles, the American colonies, Africa, the entire world, and even the solar system. Among his most distinguished works are "The World Described," an anthology of 30 individual maps published in a variety of editions between 1715 and 1753, and the large-scale "Atlas Geographus," which was published in monthly installments from 1708 to 1717.
One of the characteristic traits of Moll's maps lies in their elaborate cartouches, or decorative map titles, and the comprehensive textual commentary they included. His maps often bore a reflection of Britain's geopolitical and colonial interests during that era, drawing attention to regions of significant commercial and strategic value.
Beyond his contributions as a cartographer, Moll also played an active role in the intellectual circles of early 18th-century London. He maintained associations with prominent individuals of his time, including the famed writer Jonathan Swift and the notorious pirate William Dampier.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1695
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: France
BODY OF WATER: Sea of Bretagne
CONDITION: Very Good.
On laid paper with one map in color.
COLORING: Wash hand-coloring.
ENGRAVER: H. Moll
SIZE: 6
" x
5 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 7
PRICE: $200
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