Carte Generalle du Gouvernement Militaire de France, et L’Etat de Ses Forces, Tant Par Terre, Que Par Mer

General Map of the Military Government of France, and the State of Its Forces, Both by Land and by Sea – Approximate Title Translation

A visual expression of French martial power, with a special emphasis on the artillery. 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.