Northern Brazil and Amazon Basin Enlightenment Map by Rigobert Bonne, 1780s

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This finely engraved late-18th-century map depicts northern Brazil and the greater Amazon basin, titled Carte de la Partie Septentrionale du … Read more This finely engraved late-18th-century map depicts northern Brazil and the greater Amazon basin, titled Carte de la Partie Septentrionale du Brésil, engraved circa 1780 by Rigobert Bonne, one of the foremost figures of Enlightenment-era French cartography. The map covers the vast northern half of Portuguese Brazil, including the Amazon River system, Maranhão, Pará, and the interior regions extending toward Guiana and the Spanish frontier, presenting a systematic European scientific view of one of the least understood regions of the 18th-century world. Bonne served as Ingénieur-Hydrographe de la Marine and chief cartographer at the Dépôt de la Marine in Paris, where he succeeded Jacques-Nicolas Bellin. His tenure marked a decisive shift in French cartography toward clarity, standardized measurement, and the synthesis of contemporary geographic intelligence derived from exploration accounts, missionary reports, and colonial surveys. This map exemplifies Bonne’s mature style, combining dense geographic information with remarkable legibility and restraint. The geography is rendered with notable precision. The Amazon River and its major tributaries structure the composition, linking coastal settlements to the deep interior. Provinces such as Maranhão, Pará, Bahia, and Mato Grosso are clearly delineated, while Indigenous territories, mission regions, and lesser-known river networks reveal European attempts to comprehend and organize the immense Amazonian landscape. Coastal outlines along the Atlantic are crisply engraved, reinforcing the map’s hydrographic importance. Visually calm yet expansive, the map’s wide horizontal format, fine line engraving, and generous margins give it strong architectural presence when framed. It functions equally well as a scholarly document for collectors of South American and Amazonian cartography and as a refined decorative wall piece in a library, study, or contemporary interior.

Condition report Good antique condition. Light age toning and minor handling wear consistent with 18th-century copperplate engraving. Original centerfold as issued. Clean impression with strong legibility; margins ample for framing. Framing tips Best framed in dark walnut or ebonized wood with a generous ivory or warm off-white mat. Museum glass recommended to preserve detail and enhance contrast. Particularly effective as a wide-format focal piece. See less