Sea Atlas
Zeeatlas, fol. 1v and 2r.
The Sea Atlas is an atlas produced in Dieppe around 1538. The cartographers from Dieppe were known for their reliable map material, which was moreover presented in a very artistic manner. They had excellent contacts with Portuguese mapmakers, who were considered the experts of maritime cartography at the time. The basic material for this atlas is therefore of Portuguese origin: the geographical illustration, the compass roses used to depict the cardinal directions, and the spelling of the drawn-in place names all point to this. The finishing of the maps, with their colorful, imaginative depiction of the landscape, flora and fauna, and population of the mainland, took place in Dieppe. The atlas is dedicated to the Dauphin, the later French King Henry II (1547-1559). The work was part of his library and therefore bears his coat of arms.
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Sea Atlas, fol. 15v, 16r
Tropique de capricorne
This map shows a section of the Atlantic coast of South America, with Uruguay and the mouth of the Rio de la Plata at the top as the southernmost point, and the region around Pernambuco as the northernmost. In southern Brazil, in the center of the image, two hostile Tupi tribes are fighting each other. Further south, an Indigenous woodcutter is felling a tree for a European merchant. In the north, logs are being transported, and a second group of indigenous inhabitants, accompanied by two Europeans, is seen moving westward. The depicted Europeans are likely French, although the Portuguese had held Brazil since 1500. Since no gold or silver was found, their interest quickly waned. For years, the visitors were almost exclusively French privateers interested in Brazilian timber.
Provenance
The Sea Atlas was reportedly presented to Henry as part of a lobby by merchants from the regions around Dieppe, Le Havre, and Rouen, who wanted to persuade Henry's father, King Francis I, to also focus his attention on the South American continent. The gestures of the Indians in the foreground, pointing to the seabed and to the French, are therefore often interpreted as an invitation to the French to colonize the country peacefully.
The atlas has been in the possession of the KB since 1807. It was part of the collection of Mr. Joost Romswinckel, which, purchased in its entirety by the Dutch State, forms one of the library's core collections.
References
- A. Cortesão e A. Teixeira da Mota. Portugaliae monumenta cartographica. Lisboa 1960. Dl. V, p. 132-136. Pl. 614-620
- M. Destombes et D. Gernez, 'Un atlas nautique du XVIème siècle à la Bibliothèque Royale de la Haye (Pays Bas)', in: Marcel Destombes (1905-1983), Contributions sélectionnées à l'histoire de la cartographie et des instruments scientifiques. Utrecht 1987
- Susi Colin, Das Bild des Indianers im 16. Jahrhundert. Idstein 1988.
