A Sanson‐Jaillot copperplate of 1674 of the eastern half of south America for the Atlas Nouveau: What might have been

Abstract

In sum, the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Dutch cartography represent one of the greatest periods of the craft's history, but by the eighteenth century Dutch maps had become decadent and imitative ... It is to France we must now turn'.' By 1700 the cartographic 'crown' had been laid on the head of France, but the development of French cartography in the preceding century set the foundation for the achievements of the eighteenth century. As France entered the 'age of Louis XIV' all Europe witnessed an acceleration of the arts and sciences. With the succession of Louis XIV to the French throne at the age of five in 1643 the French began a seventytwo year journey of advancement that would identify them as the leaders of Europe and heirs to the great Dutch cartographic tradition. The progress of France under Louis XIV affected all phases of scholastic endeavour and daily life: mercantilism, directed by Jean Baptiste Colbert, organized major aspects of the country's economy; colonization of the New World and Asia accelerated trade; growing industries attracted many of Europe's artisans; Baroque art and architecture became a symbol of French wealth, power, and beauty; centralization contributed to large scale planning; and royal patronage of the arts and sciences increased greatly. It was in this almost ideal environment that the first great families of French cartography rose and were nurtured and rewarded. One of the first giants of French cartography in the seventeenth century was Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667). Considered by many to be the founder of the French school of cartography, he was a prolific mapmaker (producing over 300 maps in his career) whose standards were held in the highest regard by not only his contemporaries, but his professional heirs as well. Sanson had three sons, Nicolas Fils (d. 1648), Guillaume (d. 1702), and Adrien (d. 1708), all of whom, tutored by their father, began early in their scientific training and as adults carried on the family name in French cartography. In 1695 the grandson of Nicolas Sanson, Pierre Moulart-Sanson, was appointed Ordinaire du Roy by Louis XIV, representing the third generation of the Sanson family to hold the post. Continuing the work begun by his grandfather and furthered by his uncles, Pierre upheld the professional standards of the Sanson family until the mid-eighteenth century, when he was succeeded by his nephew Gilles Robert de Vaugondy (1686-1766) and his son Didier (1723-1786). Closely associated with the Sanson family at times was another leader of French cartography, AlexisHubertJaillot (1632-1712). He was born in Franche-