1707 Homann Map of the Duchy of the Dauphiné, France

Theatre of War in the French Alps.

This is an early state of Johann Baptist Homann's 1707 map of the Dauphiné, France, during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714). This was an active theater of the war: following Savoy's change of allegiance from Bourbon to Habsburg, Savoy invaded the Dauphiné.

A Closer Look

Coverage details part of the Rhone-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azure regions and the departments of Drome, Isère, and Hautes-Alpes, including the cities of Grenoble, Lyon, and reaches as far east as the Italian territories of Piedmont, and south as far as Provence. The map is centered on Haut Daupniné. The city of Pignerol (Pinerolo) is marked within French territory, at the extreme of the Vallees des Vaudois. This part of the Piedmont had been taken by the French during the Thirty Years' War (1618 - 1648). It was supposed to have been returned to Savoy in 1696, according to the Treaty of Turin, although that change is not reflected here.

Historical Context

The map was printed in 1707, reflecting the state of affairs following the Savoy's shift of alliance from Bourbon to the Habsburg party in 1703. Savoy invaded Dauphiné in 1704 and 1705 in a series of raids and incursions through these borderlands. During the same period, the French in Dauphiné besieged the Savoyard city of Turin (in Piedmont, on the map), but the siege would be lifted by celebrity general Prince Eugene of Savoy. The war in this region resulted in no strategic victories for Savoy due to France's program of fortification under Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban.

A Dramatic Cartouche

The elegant cartouche presents France, on the left, seated on a throne of cannon and cannonballs, emblazoned with the fleurs de lis. She spreads her hands in evident surprise at the attack of heavily-armed putti storming in from the right: an allusion to Savoy's sudden turn against France in the early years of the war. Below the cartouche is a fierce scene in a mountainous setting typical of the region's terrain. Cavalrymen clash amidst the smoke of battle, bodies of men and horses littering the field.

Publication History and Census

This map first appeared in the Homann Atlas Novus in 1707 and remained in the atlas at least until 1716, and possibly longer. In its various editions, the map is well-represented in institutional collections. Likewise, the map appears on the market occasionally, but its dating (and attendant historical context) is often incorrect.

Cartographer

Johann Baptist Homann (March 20, 1664 - July 1, 1724) was the most prominent and prolific map publisher of the 18th century. Homann was born in Oberkammlach, a small town near Kammlach, Bavaria, Germany. As a young man, Homann studied in a Jesuit school and nursed ambitions of becoming a Dominican priest. Nonetheless, he converted to Protestantism in 1687, when he was 23. It is not clear where he mastered engraving, but we believe it may have been in Amsterdam. Homann's earliest work we have identified is about 1689, and already exhibits a high degree of mastery. Around 1691, Homann moved to Nuremberg and registered as a notary. By this time, he was already making maps, and very good ones at that. He produced a map of the environs of Nürnberg in 1691/92, which suggests he was already a master engraver. Around 1693, Homann briefly relocated to Vienna, where he lived and studied printing and copper plate engraving until 1695. Until 1702, he worked in Nuremberg in the map trade under Jacob von Sandrart (1630 - 1708) and then David Funck (1642 - 1709). Afterward, he returned to Nuremberg, where, in 1702, he founded the commercial publishing firm that would bear his name. In the next five years, Homann produced hundreds of maps and developed a distinctive style characterized by heavy, detailed engraving, elaborate allegorical cartouche work, and vivid hand color. Due to the lower cost of printing in Germany, the Homann firm could undercut the dominant French and Dutch publishing houses while matching their diversity and quality. Despite copious output, Homann did not release his first major atlas until the 33-map Neuer Atlas of 1707, followed by a 60-map edition of 1710. By 1715, Homann's rising star caught the attention of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who appointed him Imperial Cartographer. In the same year, he was also appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Homann's prestigious title came with several significant advantages, including access to the most up-to-date cartographic information as well as the 'Privilege'. The Privilege was a type of early copyright offered to very few by the Holy Roman Emperor. Though less sophisticated than modern copyright legislation, the Privilege offered limited protection for several years. Most all J. B. Homann maps printed between 1715 and 1730 bear the inscription 'Cum Priviligio' or some variation. Homann was also skilled at cultivated learned relationships throughout Europe, for example, in 1723, documents from the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences identify him as an 'Agent of Muscovy', indicating an official connection to the cartographic circles in Russia. Following Homann's death in 1724, the firm's map plates and management passed to his son, Johann Christoph Homann (1703 - 1730). J. C. Homann, perhaps realizing that he would not long survive his father, stipulated in his will that the company would be inherited by his two head managers, Johann Georg Ebersberger (1695 - 1760) and Johann Michael Franz (1700 - 1761), and that it would publish only under the name 'Homann Heirs'. This designation, in various forms (Homannsche Heirs, Heritiers de Homann, Lat Homannianos Herod, Homannschen Erben, etc.) appears on maps from about 1731 onwards. The firm continued to publish maps in ever-diminishing quantities until the death of its last owner, Christoph Franz Fembo (1781 - 1848).   Further Details...

Source

Homann, J. B., Neuer Atlas bestehend in einig curieusen Astronomischen Kuppren und vielen auserlesenen accuratensten Land-Charten über die Gantze Welt, (Nuremberg: Homann) 1710.    

Homann's Neuer Atlas bestehend in einig curieusen Astronomischen Kuppren und vielen auserlesenen accuratensten Land-Charten über die Gantze Welt was first publihsed in 1707 with 33 maps. A second edition followed in 1710 with 60 maps. Subsequent editions followed until about 1730. The title page notes proudly that the atlas features measurements based on the 'Copernican principle of the moving sky', a truly state-of-the-art innovation for the period. Regardless of editions, collations of the atlas are inconsistent, with some examples having less, while others have more maps - a consequence of the fact that the map sheets were delivered loose, to be bound at the buyer's discretion, and so some buyers chose to omit maps they did not consider relevant, or add others they did. Between editions, the constituent maps, particularly of European regions, were regularly updated to reflect the most recent political events. The atlas continued to be published by Homann's son, J. C. Homann (1703 - 1730), and then by Homann Heirs. Most examples also feature a fine allegorical frontispiece with the title Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia, regna et Status, which was used for multiple Homann atlases, including the Neuer Atlas and the Atlas Minor.

Condition

Very good. Marginal mend at lower right not impacting image. Old mounting on thick paper for binding; attractive original hand color. Some marginal soiling.

References

OCLC 220493925. cf. Rumsey 12499.077 (1716).