Tomas Lopez y Vargas
Mallorca, 1773
15 x 28 in
38 x 71 cm
38 x 71 cm
MED2431
Mapa de la Isla de Mallorca y de la Cabrera. Very rare, separately issued folding map of Mallorca, printed to be part of Lopez’s grand regional atlas of the Kingdom...
Mapa de la Isla de Mallorca y de la Cabrera.
Very rare, separately issued folding map of Mallorca, printed to be part of Lopez’s grand regional atlas of the Kingdom of Spain.
Tomas Lopez de Vargas Machuca was a renowned Spanish map maker with a storied career. Born in Toledo in 1730, at age 22, he was sent to Paris for instruction under arguably the greatest academic map maker of his age, Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville. He returned five years later and became a successful map publisher. In 1770, Charles III elevated him to “Geografo de los Dominios de su Magestad”, the equivalent of Geographer to the King and Lopez spent the rest of his life pursuing detailed surveys of Spanish provinces. Although he did not finish his task before his death in 1802, his planned “Atlas Geografico de Espana” was issued by his sons in 1804 with further issues in 1810 and 1830.
This map of Mallorca was part of Lopez’s surveys in preparation for the “Atlas Geografico.” In the cartouche, he carefully lists his sources, Lieut. Col. Don Juan de Landaeta, Don Francisco Garma and “other manuscripts.”
Although Mallorca was substantially mapped in the 18th century, particularly by French map makers such as Bremond, Bellin and Ayrouard, Lopez makes some noticeable corrections to the shape of the coastline, presumably following these manuscripts. A large cartouche is present on the lower right while an inset of the island of Cabrera is positioned on the upper left.
Folding map backed on linen. Trimmed to neatline. Original colour. [MED2431]
Very rare, separately issued folding map of Mallorca, printed to be part of Lopez’s grand regional atlas of the Kingdom of Spain.
Tomas Lopez de Vargas Machuca was a renowned Spanish map maker with a storied career. Born in Toledo in 1730, at age 22, he was sent to Paris for instruction under arguably the greatest academic map maker of his age, Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville. He returned five years later and became a successful map publisher. In 1770, Charles III elevated him to “Geografo de los Dominios de su Magestad”, the equivalent of Geographer to the King and Lopez spent the rest of his life pursuing detailed surveys of Spanish provinces. Although he did not finish his task before his death in 1802, his planned “Atlas Geografico de Espana” was issued by his sons in 1804 with further issues in 1810 and 1830.
This map of Mallorca was part of Lopez’s surveys in preparation for the “Atlas Geografico.” In the cartouche, he carefully lists his sources, Lieut. Col. Don Juan de Landaeta, Don Francisco Garma and “other manuscripts.”
Although Mallorca was substantially mapped in the 18th century, particularly by French map makers such as Bremond, Bellin and Ayrouard, Lopez makes some noticeable corrections to the shape of the coastline, presumably following these manuscripts. A large cartouche is present on the lower right while an inset of the island of Cabrera is positioned on the upper left.
Folding map backed on linen. Trimmed to neatline. Original colour. [MED2431]
