Denmark Chart 1764 Bellin Carte du Dannemarc Print - Jutland, Kattegat, Skagerrak, Oresund

Jacques Nicolas Bellin engraved this chart of Denmark and the Baltic approaches, titled Carte du Dannemarc, for his five-volume Petit Atlas Maritime, published in Paris in 1764 under the patronage of the Duc de Choiseul. The chart covers the Kingdom of Denmark, including Jutland, the Danish archipelago, the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and the adjacent coasts of southern Sweden and northern Germany. Coastal waters show dangerous sandbanks and navigation hazards along the Kattegat, Skagerrak and Oresund, while the land carries major towns, waterways and relief. A compass rose with rhumb lines anchors the upper left. The chart is a graceful example of French naval work, and its fine engraving of coasts, soundings and sandbanks rewards close study.

A decorative rococo title cartouche occupies the upper right. Bellin lived from 1703 to 1772, was appointed Hydrographer to the French Navy in 1721 at the age of eighteen, and became the first Ingenieur de la Marine of the Depot des cartes et plans de la Marine in 1741, when he was also named Official Hydrographer of the French King. The Depot was then one of the most active centers for sea charts in Europe, and its output included the Neptune Francois and the Hydrographie Francaise. The Petit Atlas Maritime contained 580 finely engraved maps and charts in smaller format.

A collector of nautical charts, a sailor or family with roots in Denmark, or a reader of naval history will find a handsome gift here. TheMapVault's Sanson map of 1658 shows the same kingdom as a land map, whereas this Bellin chart shows it as the French navy saw it. Like every print in the collection, it ships unframed and is available in a full range of sizes, from a compact desk piece to a large-format statement print. It would suit a study, a hall or a library. The chart is a good fit for a collector of naval history.