Carte de L'Isle de Sumatra - Sumatra Malacca

Attractive and detailed map of the island of Sumatra, Singapore Straits, the southern Malay Peninsula and Java Island, showing many coastal features, shoals, banks and small islands. The straits of Malacca, Singapore and the Sunda Strait between Sumatra and Java are mentioned. 

A note at lower left gives the local terms for river, cape and island and advises that the interior of the island and the course of its rivers are unknown. Very suitable for framing. 

An attractive title cartouche describes in Frenche: Carte De L'Isle De Sumatra. Dressee sur les Journaux des Navigateurs et surs plusiers Cartes Manuscrites qui sont au Depot des Plans de Marine.

Our translation: Map Of The Island Of Sumatra. Drawn up on the Navigator's Logs and on several Handwritten Maps which are at the Depot of Marine Plans

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was among the most important mapmakers of the eighteenth century. In 1721, at age 18, he was appointed hydrographer (chief cartographer) to the French Navy. In August 1741, he became the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Depot des cartes et plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographic Office) and was named Official Hydrographer of the French King.

During his term as Official Hydrographer, the Depot was the single most active center for the production of sea charts and maps, including a large folio format sea-chart of France, the Neptune Francois. He also produced a number of sea-atlases of the world, e.g., the Atlas Maritime and the Hydrographie Francaise. These gained fame, distinction, and respect all over Europe and were republished throughout the 18th and even in the succeeding century.

Bellin also came out with smaller format maps such as the 1764 Petit Atlas Maritime, containing 580 finely detailed charts. He also contributed many of the maps for Bellin and contributed a number of maps to the 15-volume Histoire Generale des Voyages of Antoine François Prévost or simply known l'Abbe Prevost.

Bellin set a very high standard of workmanship and accuracy, thus gaining for France a leading role in European cartography and geography. Many of his maps were copied by other mapmakers of Europe.

 

Jacques Nicolas Bellin
Title
Sumatra, Malaysia and Singapore
Publication Place / Date
Image Dimensions
Paris / ca.1750
32 by 21 cm.
Color
Condition
Hand coloring
G+ / Study image carefully
Product Price
Product Number
USD 380
SKU #M.0217