Description

Beautiful originally coloured small map shows Sedan in France (Champagne-Ardenne).

The view was issued ‘Atlas Portatif, ou le nouveau Theatre de la Guerre en Europe; Contenants les cartes geographiques, avec les plans des Villes & Forteresses les plus exposees aux revolutions presentes’ by Daniel de la Feuille (1640 – 1709), published in Amsterdam in 1706. The family de la Feuille was known by small format portable atlases. Age-toned in white margins, otherwise in a good condition.

The De la Feuilles were Huguenots and in 1683 moved to Amsterdam, as part of the mass exodus of highly-skilled craftsmen and artisans, fleeing the anti-Protestant climate of Louis XIV’s France.  The arrival of the Huguenots breathed new life into the Dutch economy and saw Amsterdam become the leading centre in many niche trades.

The De la Feuilles made most of their living from small-sized maps, such as those features in the Atlas Portatif (1701) and the Tablets Guerrières (1706), which were easily affordable to the general public.  However, Jacob also produced a number of finely engraved folio-sized maps, which today all tend to be quite scarce, as they seem to have been produced on a limited issue ‘boutique’ basis.  These include, amongst others, a map of London (1690), Malta (1696) and the present map of the Danube.  He also compiled composite atlases, including both his own maps and other mapmakers’ works and, likewise, some of his maps were included in composite atlases compiled by others.  Upon his death, in 1719, the business was continued by Paul de la Feuille.