Rare Hand Colored "Cabane Des Hold" - 1st Ed "Description De L’Univers" C. 1683. By Alain Manesson Mallet

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Rare Engraving "Cabane Des Hold, Terres Artiques, Fig CII," 1st edition "Description de l’Univers, page 281

This rare image depicts … Read more Rare Engraving "Cabane Des Hold, Terres Artiques, Fig CII," 1st edition "Description de l’Univers, page 281

This rare image depicts the Willem Barentsz expedition of 1597 to Novaya Zemlya, Russia. The engraving, with later hand-coloring, shows the cabin and ship of the Dutch arctic expedition of Barentsz on Novaya Zemlya (Nova Zembla), with the party being attacked (and in some cases apparently eaten) by bears and wolves. Dutch explorer, Willem Barentsz, reached the west coast of Novaya Zemlya in 1594, and in a subsequent expedition of 1596 rounded the northern point and wintered on the northeast coast. Barentsz died during the expedition, and may have been buried on the northern island.

This artwork is a page from a book by 17th century cartographer and engineer, Allain Manesson Mallet (French, 1630-1706), "Description de L'Univers, contenant les differents systêmes du monde, les cartes générals et particulières de la géographie ancienne et modern." Paris: Denys Thierry, 1683.

Presented in an cream colored mat.
Text on verso shown in images.
Mat Size: 11.5"H x 9.07"W
Paper Size: 8.25"H x 5.44"W
Image Size: 5.63"H x 3.75"W

Alain Manesson Mallet (French, 1630-1706) was a 17th century cartographer and military engineer. He started his career as a musketeer in the army of Louis XIV, became a Sergeant-Major in the artillery and an Inspector of Fortifications. He later served under Alfonso VI, King of Portugal, during the Portuguese Restoration War before returning to France at the conclusion of that conflict in 1668, where his military engineering and mathematical background led to an appointment teaching mathematics at la Petite Écurie. He is best known for his extensive work Description de L'Univers (1683) in 5 volumes, a copious publication which contains maps of all parts of the then-known world (both ancient and modern), star maps, prints of the costumes, customs, cities and religions of many nations, and astronomical prints. Mallet himself drew most of the figures that were engraved for this book. First published in 1683 in Paris with French text, a second, German, edition was published in Frankfurt in 1684, with the addition of German titles to the plates outside the printed border. The philosopher Pierre Bayle considered the work "a curious rabble of a thousand things on Geography and History”. Mallet also published Les Travaux de Mars ou l'Art de la Guerre (1684) in 3 volumes and La Géométrie pratique (1702). Alexandre Dumas honoured him with a mention in the Vicomte de Bragelonne . See less