Bilder François Valentijn (1666–1727) – Sea Map of the South African Coast – South Africa – Engraving (1726)

Beskrivning

"Baya de Saldanha" is a specialized sea chart detailing the coastline of South Africa from the Cape of Good Hope to Saldanha Bay. The map is oriented with East at the top and is crisscrossed with rhumb lines used for maritime navigation. It identifies key geographical features including Table Bay, Robben Island, and the distinctive "Cabo de Boa Esperanca." This copperplate engraving originates from the monumental work Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën, published in Dordrecht and Amsterdam by Joannes van Braam and Gerard onder de Linden. The work is highly regarded for its accuracy and was one of the first major publications to share detailed Dutch East India Company (VOC) cartographic knowledge with the public.

François Valentijn was a Dutch minister and author who spent significant portions of his life in the service of the VOC, primarily in Ambon and Java. Upon his final return to the Netherlands, he spent years compiling his vast collection of personal journals, VOC documents, and official maps into an eight-volume encyclopedia of the East Indies. His work remained the definitive Dutch source on the region for over a century, containing over one thousand engravings and several groundbreaking maps. Valentijn’s access to secret VOC archives allowed him to produce charts of exceptional detail that were previously withheld for strategic reasons. His legacy is defined by this massive intellectual undertaking, which preserved a detailed record of the geography and colonial history of the eighteenth-century world.

Artist or Maker:
François Valentijn.

Dimensions:
Approximately 40 cm x 35 cm.

Medium:
Engraving.

Date:
1726.

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.