Amerique Meridionale

Spectacular view of South America from the mid-19th century.

This attractive steel engraved map of South America shows the continent at a period of tremendous political development. Successful independence movements from Spanish and Portuguese control swept through most of the territory (with the notable exceptions of French, Dutch, and British Guyana) during the prior four decades, though national boundaries continued to change regularly depending on negotiations (and conflicts) between subsequent governments.

Surrounding the map is a lavishly decorated scene that is representative of contemporary European perspectives on South America. Exotic animals, lush flora, mineral resources, and inhabitants ranging from the ‘civilized’ gaucho riding horses to the scantily clad indigenous tribesman. The latter is standing adjacent to a table of demographic statistics, while a summary of South American history and geography is provided (in French) at the bottom of the page.

The map was created by Victor Levasseur around 1845 for inclusion in his notable Atlas Universel Illustre, published in Paris by Amable Combette. Engraving by Laguillermie, printing by Lemercier, and illustrations by Raimond Bonheur, father of Rosa Bonheur, the famous painter of animals.