This map is attributed to the French cartographer Guillaume Delisle, geographer to the King of France and member of the Académie Royale des Sciences. Made as a coloured copperplate engraving, it reflects the most up-to-date European geographical knowledge of Africa between the 17th and 18th centuries, with particular attention to the coasts, sea routes and coastal kingdoms involved in Atlantic trade. The interior of the continent, by contrast, remains schematic, marked by large ethnographic and political regions, testifying to the limits of information at the time. The rich allegorical cartouche with exotic animals and African figures underlines the Eurocentric and “curious” view of the nature and peoples of the continent, typical of French Enlightenment cartography.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in) With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in) Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
How an Amalfi art print is made, what the frame is like, what museum glass is, how long shipping takes, and how returns work: we’ve gathered all the answers on a single page.
