De Leth, Hendrik (sold)
Hendrik de Leth (May 31, 1703 - June 17, 1766) was a Dutch print artist, etcher, engraver, mapmaker, draftsman, bookseller, art dealer, print publisher, art collector, and naturalist. He was the son of Andries de Leth (also an engraver and bookseller, 1662-1731) He trained under his father, and joined the bookseller's guild at the age of 25. The elder De Leth had taken over the Visscher mapmaking business after the death of Nicholas II, and, Hendrik de Leth in turn took over after the death of his father. De Leth would be better known perhaps for his prints than his maps, though he produced a geographical atlas and historical atlas in 1740.
A Sumptuous Example of a Rare Map of the Americas and the Pacific
Carte Nouvelle de la Mer du Sud, dressee par Ordre des principaux Directeurs des Memoires les plus recents et des Relations des Navigateurs les plus Modernes.
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A superb example of a rare map, by Hendrik De Leth, presenting the reader with a compendium of European exploration and discovery. Not confined to the Pacific Ocean - as suggested by the title - the map includes richly detailed mapping of the Americas and coastal Africa as well as the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Though it is clearly based in part on de Fer's map of 1713 and the 1719 Chatelain, this finely engraved map is easily the match of its predecessors for the elegance of its decorative vignettes. These include - along the bottom center of the map - scenes depicting the manner of turtle-hunting on Pacific Islands, the operation of a sugar mill, gold mining and bird hunting in Mexico, the manner of human sacrifice in mezo America, and a depiction of Cortez destroying Mexican idols. To the lower right is a magnificent scene of the Cape Town settlement, filled with ships and surrounded by a magnificent frame decorated with lions, monkeys, and native figures. (more details)