Carte Genealogique des Rois de France avec l’Etat des Principaux Officiers de la Maison du Roy

Genealogical Map of the Kings of France with the State of the Principal Officers of the Household of the King – Approximate Title Translation

This intricate sheet outlines the historic legitimacy of the French monarchy, beginning with the legendary Faramund and ending with Louis XIV, the Sun King. Numerous royal offices allude to the excesses of the Ancienne Regime.

The copperplate-engraved sheet was originally published in Paris as part of Henri Abraham Chatelain’s important Atlas Historique. This monumental seven-volume set was first issued in Amsterdam between 1705 and 1720, but was re-printed in numerous in several subsequent editions until the late 1730s. The scholarly, but approachable, work was aimed at a broad audience, eager for new information during the Age of Enlightenment. The breadth of content offers a nuanced synthesis of geography, cosmography, history, religion, ethnology, and political science. The descriptive text (in French) and skillfully engraved maps, diagrams, and illustrations provide a fascinating window into the world of the early 18th century.