Bidspirit auction | Jacques-Nicolas Bellin

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin - Original Engraved Map of the Guianas - Wild Coast - ”Histoire General of Travel” - Bellin. Its finely engraved, hand-coloring engraved map from the Dutch edition of acques Nicolas Bellin Histoire General des Voyages. Published in Amsterdam, 1770 year. Antique map of the Guianas - present day Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, including Paramaribo and Cayenne.The area, which is now French Guiana, had been inhabited by Indians for thousands of years. The French arrived in 1604 and a few years later, in 1637, Cayenne was founded, now the capital. The area changed hands several times between French and Dutch colonizers in the 17th century. Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was among the most important mapmakers of the eighteenth century. In 1721, at only the age of 18, he was appointed Hydrographer to the French Navy. In August 1741, he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographic Office) and was named Official Hydrographer of the French King. Bellin set a very high standard of workmanship and accuracy, cementing France's leading role in European cartography and geography during this period. Many of his maps were copied by other mapmakers across the continent. The reverse side is blank. This is an original print, not a modern reproduction.