Map of the Coast of the New World or Americas (New France, New England, Venezuela, Brazil)

This exceptional maritime map is from Louis Renard’s Atlas de la Navigation, et du Commerce. This is from the second edition of the work published in Amsterdam by the Ottens in 1739.

Renard’s sea atlas was developed from the plates of Frederik de Wit, who published his own maritime work circa 1675. Renard’s atlas was first published in 1715 but became so useful and popular it was re-issued first in 1739 with more editions continuing until 1802. “This continuous revision proves that the atlas was intended for use at sea and not only for the consultation on shore.” (Koeman) “This [atlas] was issued in three ways: uncoloured, the body of the map coloured and the cartouches left plain, and fully coloured.” (Tooley)

The maps feature exquisite cartouche work, likely drawn by Romeyn de Hooghe. The scenes in Renard’s outlas would sometimes feature whaling, bear hunting, ivory trade, Indians, portrait of Magellan, costumes and animals of the respective regions, et al.

Louis Renard (1678-1746) was a born in France to the Huguenot Family. He worked as a book seller and publisher in Amsterdam, Netherlands from 1703. The Netherlands led the world in overseas commerce, engraving, and cartography with Renard as a masterful leader in the field.