Beaurain, Jean-Baptiste Jacques de (sold)
Jean-Baptiste Jacques de Beaurain (1728 - c. 1785) was a French Geographer and military historian. He was born in Paris, the son of 'Géographe du Roi' to Louis XV, Jean de Beaurain (1696 - 1771). In 1765, Jean-Baptiste inherited his father's title 'Géographe du Roi' in 1771, this time to Louis XVI (1754 -1793), and in 1771 was awarded an annual royal pension of 800 pounds - something he was proud of and often incorporated into his imprint. He issued various military histories and military atlases, as well as tutored the King in geography. Beaurain was exceptionally active during the American Revolutionary War, when new cartography regarding the fledgling United States was in high demand in France. During this time, he maintained connections to British cartographers, particularly William Faden. Despite a royal pension and a wide corpus of publications, in 1785 Beaurain, possibly mired in debt accrued by his father, declared bankruptcy. No further maps are recorded and he may have died shortly thereafter.
Mars, the God of War, look on as Fame proclaims the of the Birth of the United States.
Carte de l'Amerique Septle. pour Servir a l'Intelligence de la Guerre Entre les Anglois et les Insurgents.
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This is a rare 1777 Jean-Baptiste Jacques de Beaurain map of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, issued in anticipation of French entry into the war on the side of the revolutionaries. The map includes a bold illustration of the goddess Ossa (fame) unrolling an expansive map of the Theater of War in the Hudson corridor, proclaiming the newly formed United States. Mars, the god of War, looks on, shield and torch in hand, his arsenal ready - much like France itself. This map is thus an instrument of propaganda intended to prepare the public for French participation in the American Revolution - an event which followed in early 1778. (more details)