Acquired From: Gowrie Galleries
Colouring: Coloured
Condition: Very Good
Confirmed: No
Dealers ID No.: M877/2 (STK 1990/01/Y)
Description: This richly detailed world map by Pierre Du Val, Royal Geographer to Louis XIV, was issued in 1674 as part of his effort to produce a global commercial chart highlighting maritime trade networks. A nephew and pupil of Nicolas Sanson, Du Val became one of the most influential French mapmakers of the seventeenth century, known for popularising geography through accessible visual forms. After his death in 1683, his cartographic business was continued by his widow and daughters.nThe map presents a global hydrographic projection emphasising the principal trade routes of the East and West Indies. It prominently shows the route of the Manila galleon, which connected Acapulco and Manila, facilitating exchange between Spanish America and Asia. Four decorative ships underscore the maps focus on navigation and maritime commerce. As Rodney Shirley has noted, the routes depicted are predominantly French and English, contrasting with the Dutch navigational preferences which favoured more southern and northerly tracks.nA notable feature is the bold rendering of the hypothetical southern continent, labelled Terres Ant-Arctiques dites Australes et Magellaniques et Inconnues (Antarctic Lands called Australes, Magellanic, and Unknown). Along the Pacific coast appears Terre de Quir, ireferencing Pedro Fernández de Quirós, the Spanish explorer who fervently promoted the idea of a fertile southern continent following his 1605 expedition.nSouthwest of South Africa, the southern continents coastline is marked both Terre de Perroquets (Land of Parrots), and Psitac (Psitacorum, Region of Parrots), names found on Gerard Mercators 1541 globe and 1569 world map. Further east appear Beach, Lucac, and Maletur, enduring traces of Marco Polos influence.nTo the east, the coastline of the southern continent meanders north, an open question as to how it might connect with the western and southern coasts of "Nowelle Holande" (modern Australia). Along these coasts, Du Val recorded several early Dutch discoveries, including:n Dirk Hartog (1616): The first European known to have set foot on the western coast of Australia, naming it "'t Landt van Eendracht" (Land of Eendracht) after his ship.n The Leeuwin (1622): A Dutch ship whose name was given to the southwestern cape of Australia, now known as Cape Leeuwin. n Jan Carstenszoon and Willem Joosten van Colster (1623): Explored northern Australia, including Cape York and Arnhem Land (marked Terre d'Arnems)n Gerrit Frederikszoon de Witt (1628): His discoveries contributed to mapping part of the Australian coastline, leading to the designation Terre de WitnAlso of significance is the identification of Trial Reef, marked by a small cross in the Indian Ocean. This commemorates the 1622 wreck of the English East India Company ship Trial (Tryall) under Captain John Brookes, whose survivors reached Batavia after a perilous journey, while many others perished.nDu Vals map blends current navigational knowledge with enduring speculative geography, reflecting both Enlightenment-era commercial ambition and the cartographic legacy of earlier European exploration. It stands as a vivid example of how seventeenth-century French mapmakers framed the worlds oceans in terms of imperial trade and discovery.
First published: Cartes de géographie les plus nouvelles, Paris, 1674
Image Size (cm): 37.5×53.5
Mapmaker: Du Val, Pierre, (1618-1683)
Notes: Purchase details
Other states: First (1674), Second (1677)
Primary Category: World
Rarity: R3 Uncommon – dealers can usually obtain a copy
Sheet size (cm): 43×60
Shirley ID #: 465 Mapping the World
Technique: Copper Engraving
This state: 1686, Third
Website: Click here
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