Egypt 1762 Rigobert Bonne & Jean Lattré Antique Original Copper Engraved Map ANTIQUE COPPER ENGRAVED MAP OF EGYPT BY BONNE & LATTRÉ

Description:  Striking, highly detailed and highly appealing  beautiful example of Rigobert Bonne's 1762 decorative copper engraved map of Egypt. Covers from the Nile Delta south as far as Aswan and the border with Nubia and includes the Sinai and parts of the Red Sea. Makes note of both ancient and modern (c. 1762) sites. Details various Sheikdoms, Prefectures and Provinces throughout. An elaborate decorative title cartouche in the upper right quadrant features stylized date palms, the Nile cataracts, and a typically monstrous Nile crocodile. Drawn by R. Bonne in 1762 for issue as plate no. 29 in Jean Lattre's 1776 issue of the Atlas Moderne .

Date:  1762 ( dated )

Dimension:  Paper size approx.: cm 38,3 x 52,8 Condition:  Very strong and dark impression on strong paper. Paper with chains and wire mark. Map  original colored. Wide margins. Corners partially missed. Small foxing and browning.Small tears. Small waterstains. Conditions are as you can see in the images. 

Mapmaker:  Rigobert Bonne (1727-1795 ) was one of the most important cartographers of the late 18th century. In 1773 he succeeded Jacques Bellin as Royal Cartographer to France in the office of the Hydrographer at the Depôt de la Marine. Working in his official capacity Bonne compiled some of the most detailed and accurate maps of the period. Bonne's work represents an important step in the evolution of the cartographic ideology away from the decorative work of the 17th and early 18th century towards a more detail oriented and practical aesthetic. With regard to the rendering of terrain Bonne maps bear many stylistic similarities to those of his predecessor, Bellin. However, Bonne maps generally abandon such common 18th century decorative features such as hand coloring, elaborate decorative cartouches, and compass roses. While mostly focusing on coastal regions, the work of Bonne is highly regarded for its detail, historical importance, and overall aesthetic appeal.

Jean Lattre (fl. 1743 - 1793) was a Paris based bookseller, engraver, and map publisher active in the mid to late 18th century. Lattre published a large corpus of maps, globes, and atlases in conjunction with a number of other important French cartographic figures, including Janvier, Zannoni, Bonne and Delamarche. He is also known to have worked with other European cartographers such as William Faden of London and the Italian cartographer Santini. Map piracy and copyright violations were common in 18th century France. Paris court records indicate that Lattre brought charges against several other period map publishers, including fellow Frenchman Desnos and the Italian map engraver Zannoni, both of whom he accused of copying his work. Lattre's offices and bookshop were located at 20 rue St. Jaques, Paris, France .