DE VAUGONDY, DIDIER ROBERT: MAP OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF AUSTRIAN LANDS

Inventory number 53

Original title: Partie Meridionale du cercle d' Austriche qui comprend la basse partie du Duche de Stirie, le Duche de Carinthie, divisse en haute et basse; le Duche de Carniole, divise en haute, basse, moyenne et interieure Carniole, et l' Istrie imperiale. Par le Seigneur Geographe ordinaire du Roi, avec Privilege 1752

Publishing year: 1752

Place of publishing and publisher: Paris

Format: 47 x 61 cm

Technique: Copper engraving

The map shows the southern part of Austrian lands (as the Austrian lands were defined by Charles V) where out of lands that are today Croatia the Istrian peninsula with the Gulf of Kvarner is shown. In the Istria the boundaries between the Austrian (the Principality of Pazin) and the Venetian part of Istria (coastal part of Istria) are indicated. The littoral zone between Bakar and Senj is incorrectly identified as Dalmatia (the western part of this area belonged at that time to Croatia and its eastern end with the town of Senj to the Military Frontier). The greatest deformity shown on this map is noticeable in the representation of the island of Cres, evidently based on some considerably older cartographic source. The topography is shown very schematically with shaded molehills somewhat outdated for the time period. In the lower right corner of the map we can see the engraver’s signature, «grave par Delahaye l' aine». The title of the map is in the lower right corner placed in an elaborate square rococo cartouche.

DE VAUGONDY, DIDIER ROBERT

DE VAUGONDY, DIDIER ROBERT (1723-1786), a French censor and the royal geographer from 1760. He worked in Paris at the address Quai de L’Horloge du Palais près le Pont Neuf. His most notable works are Les Cartes dans le Atlas Universel from 1750-1757 and Nouvel Atlas portratif from 1784. His atlases were republished by Delamarche. His father GILLES ROBERT DE VAUGONDY (1686-1766) was also a royal geographer (Géographe Ordinaire du Roi) from 1730 and Nicolas Sanson's grandson. He succeeded Pierre Moulard Sanson with a workshop at the address Quai de L’Horloge du Palais proche la rue de Harlai. His most notable works are Sanson's Guerre Rhein from 1735, Atlas Portatif from 1748, Petit Atlas from 1748, Atlas Universel (published with the help of his son) 1757 and Amérique from 1767.