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Fine Art. Antique Prints, Maps and Drawings / 25-10-2025, 18:00 CET

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This highly detailed bird's-eye view city plan depicts the layout of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The map illustrates the structured, early urban development of the city along the coast of the famous bay, showing individual city blocks, major fortifications, and key religious and civic buildings. The foreground is dominated by the harbor, featuring large sailing ships and smaller boats, which emphasizes the city's strategic role as a colonial port and trading center in South America. The border includes a decorative ribbon and cartouche. The print is&nbsp; a plate from the monumental travel and geography compilation, Histoire Générale des Voyages, a multi-volume encyclopedia edited by Antoine-François Prévost d'Exiles (Abbé Prévost). The work systematically compiled travel narratives, city plans, and geographical data from around the globe, providing European readers with a comprehensive record of both American and global trade hubs. Artist or Maker: Antoine-François Prévost d'Exiles Dimensions:&nbsp; Approximately 26 cm × 19 cm Medium: Engraving Date: Circa 1754 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Antoine-François Prévost d'Exiles (1697–1763) – Map of Brazil - Plan of the City of Rio de Janeiro / Ville de Rio – City Plan (Circa 1754)

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This engraving is a highly detailed astronomical and geographical diagram illustrating the celestial sphere divided into two hemispheres. The central composition features two large circular planispheres, representing the Celestial Globe in Two Planes (Le Globe en Deux Plans), which map out the constellations of the Northern and Southern Celestial Hemispheres. The surrounding margins are filled with smaller, instructional diagrams and circular maps that explain concepts such as the Oblique Sphere (Sphere oblique), the Parallel Sphere (Sphere parallèle), and the polar projections of the Earth. The use of hand-colouring highlights the landmasses and certain celestial bodies. Georges-Louis Le Rouge was a German-born French military engineer and cartographer who served as the Geographical Engineer to the King (Ingénieur Géographe du Roi). Active in Paris from the 1740s, he specialized in compiling and publishing highly detailed maps and atlases. This educational plate would have been featured in the introductory sections of his geographical compilations, such as the Nouvel Atlas Portatif (1748) or the Introduction à la Géographie (1756). Artist or Maker: Georges-Louis Le Rouge Dimensions: Approximately 33 × 26 cm Medium: Engraving, Hand-Coloured Date: Circa 1748–1756 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Georges-Louis Le Rouge (c. 1712–c. 1790) – Celestial Globe in Two Hemispheres (Le Globe Céleste en Deux Plans) – Engraving, Hand-Coloured (Circa 1748–1756)

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This map is a geographical chart detailing Poland, known as La Pologne, which, at the time, encompassed the vast territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The map displays the kingdom's historical and political boundaries, with internal divisions labeled Grande Pologne (Greater Poland) and Petite Pologne (Lesser Poland). It also depicts surrounding regions, including the Black Sea (Mer Noire) and parts of Sweden (Suede) and Hungary (Hongrie). The boundaries are highlighted with contemporary outline hand-colouring. The cartouche confirms the publication details: A Paris. Chez Le Rouge. Georges-Louis Le Rouge was a German-born French military engineer and cartographer who served as the Geographical Engineer to the King (Ingénieur Géographe du Roi). Active in Paris from the 1740s, he specialized in compiling and publishing highly detailed maps and atlases, often incorporating the latest geographical knowledge into works such as the Nouvel Atlas Portatif (1748) and the Introduction à la Géographie (1756). Artist or Maker: Georges-Louis Le Rouge Dimensions: Approximately 30 × 22 cm Medium: Engraving, Hand-Coloured Date: Circa 1748–1756 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Georges-Louis Le Rouge (c. 1712–c. 1790) – Map of Poland / La Pologne  – Engraving, Hand-Coloured (Circa 1748–1756)

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This map is a detailed geographical chart of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (Holland), encompassing the entire region. The title, LA HOLLANDE ou les PROVINCES UNIES, is framed in a decorative cartouche, and the map shows the political boundaries, major cities (including Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam), and waterways, with the surrounding body of water labeled MER D'ALLEMAGNE (German Sea). The map is ornamented with a prominent vignette of a large sailing ship and a compass rose. The political divisions of the provinces are highlighted with contemporary outline hand-colouring. Georges-Louis Le Rouge was a German-born French military engineer and cartographer who served as the Geographical Engineer to the King (Ingénieur Géographe du Roi). Active in Paris from the 1740s, he specialized in compiling and publishing highly detailed maps and atlases, often incorporating the latest geographical knowledge into works such as the Nouvel Atlas Portatif (1748) and the Introduction à la Géographie (1756). Artist or Maker: Georges-Louis Le Rouge Dimensions: Approximately 33 × 26 cm Medium: Engraving, Hand-Coloured Date: Circa 1748–1756 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Georges-Louis Le Rouge (c. 1712–c. 1790) – Map of Holland / La Hollande ou les Provinces Unies – Engraving, Hand-Coloured (Circa 1748–1756)

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This map is a geographical plan of the Caribbean island of Martinique, a French overseas department. The title, ISLE DE LA MARTINIQUE, is located in the lower left corner. The map provides extensive detail on the island's topography, marking mountains, bays, coves, coastal defenses, and settlements. The surrounding sea is prominently labeled MER DU NORD (North Sea). This detailed plan of a French colonial possession was typically included in atlases intended to document global geography or French territorial holdings. Georges-Louis Le Rouge was a German-born French military engineer and cartographer who served as the Geographical Engineer to the King (Ingénieur Géographe du Roi). Active in Paris from the 1740s, he specialized in compiling and publishing highly detailed maps and atlases, often incorporating the latest geographical knowledge into works such as the Nouvel Atlas Portatif (1748) and the Introduction à la Géographie (1756). Artist or Maker: Georges-Louis Le Rouge Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 33 cm Medium: Engraving Date: Circa 1748–1756 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Georges-Louis Le Rouge (c. 1712–c. 1790) – Map of France - the Island of Martinique / Isle de la Martinique – Engraving (Circa 1748–1756)

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This engraving is a highly detailed antique map providing a bird's-eye plan of the city of Valenciennes, France. The plan illustrates the city's street network, fortifications, and surrounding landscape, with the Scheldt River passing through the center. The town is identified at the top as VALECIENNE and in the lower cartouche with a Latin description noting its former importance as an elegant city in Flanders. The cartouche is further decorated with two coats of arms in the upper corners and a small scale. This map served as a key topographical illustration for historical and geographical works on the Low Countries. Ludovico Guicciardini was an Italian merchant, diplomat, and historian. He is most famous for authoring the Descrittione di tutti i Paesi Bassi (Description of all the Low Countries), first published in 1567. This comprehensive work, which covered all provinces of the Low Countries (including parts of what is now northern France), was widely reprinted throughout the 17th century by various publishers and relied heavily on detailed engraved city plans and maps such as this one. Artist or Maker: Ludovico Guicciardini Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 33 cm Medium: Engraving Date: Circa 1625–1648 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Ludovico Guicciardini (1521–1589) – Map of France - Valenciennes / Valencena – Engraving (Circa 1625–1648)

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This engraving is a precise bird's-eye plan of the fortified coastal city of Ostend, Belgium. The map focuses on the complex, modern fortifications characterized by sharp, angled bastions designed for defense, with the sea visible to the left. The internal street network, buildings, and a harbor are clearly delineated within the defensive walls. The cartouche in the lower right corner features Latin text describing the city as being of "wonderful beauty" (Mirae Pulchritudinis) and mentions its recovery or rebuilding in the years of the Kingdom of Naples (Naples annis), a reference to the city's strategic importance during the Eighty Years' War. This plate is a key topographical illustration from an edition of Guicciardini's geographical work. Ludovico Guicciardini was an Italian merchant, diplomat, and historian. He is most famous for authoring the Descrittione di tutti i Paesi Bassi (Description of all the Low Countries), first published in 1567. This comprehensive work, which covered all provinces of the Low Countries (including parts of what is now northern France and Belgium), was widely reprinted throughout the 17th century by various publishers and relied heavily on detailed engraved city plans and maps such as this one. Artist or Maker: Ludovico Guicciardini Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 33 cm Medium: Engraving Date: Circa 1625–1648 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Ludovico Guicciardini (1521–1589) – Map of Belgium - Plan of Ostend / Civitas Mirae Pulchritudinis – Engraving (Circa 1625–1648)

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This detailed engraving depicts the scene of the English anchorite, Saint Guthlac receiving divine assurance in his hermitage at Crowland in the English Fens. The composition shows the saint, dressed in a simple tunic, kneeling in prayer outside his cell, surrounded by a dense, wild landscape. A magnificent angel stands before him, offering comfort and support. The scene also includes several wild animals, often symbolizing the pacification of nature or the temptations overcome by the saint. The Latin inscription identifies the subject and describes the divine honor being bestowed. This print is from a series on the lives of saints or holy hermits. Jan van der Straet (Stradanus) was a Netherlandish painter and designer who was a major figure in the Florentine Mannerist school. Though he worked primarily in Italy for the Medici court, his designs were widely circulated through printmaking. His drawings were frequently engraved and published by the leading Antwerp printmaker and entrepreneur Philips Galle, who produced vast print series on historical, mythological, and religious subjects. Artist or Maker: Jan van der Straet (Designer) / Philips Galle (Publisher) Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 33 cm Medium: Engraving Date: Circa 1580–1605 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Jan van der Straet (1523–1605) – Saint Guthlac in the Wilderness (Guthlacum) – Engraving (Circa 1580–1605)

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This print is a folio page from a German edition of the monumental geographical treatise, the Cosmographia. The main feature is a highly detailed woodcut military plan showing the fortifications and siege of the city of Metz, France. The plan presents a bird's-eye view of the city's strong, rectangular fortifications, surrounded by siege works, troops, and artillery positions, with a river running along the outer defenses. A comprehensive key below the map identifies important locations, siege engines, and military positions using German letterpress and corresponding markers on the illustration. Sebastian Münster was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and professor at the University of Basel. His magnum opus, the Cosmographia (first published 1544), was the first comprehensive, richly illustrated geographical work in the German language. It became one of the most successful and widely reprinted books of the 16th century, documenting the cities, maps, customs, and political status of the world, often including contemporary military events such as sieges. Artist or Maker: Sebastian Münster Dimensions: Approximately 33 × 20 cm Medium: Woodcut with letterpress text on laid paper Date: Circa 1544–1592 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Sebastian Münster (1488–1552) – Veiw of the Metz, France (Der Statt des Cirkel Dauern und Vercen) – Woodcut with Letterpress Text (Circa 1544–1592)

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This print is a folio page from a German edition of the monumental geographical treatise, the Cosmographia, bearing the running title Vondem Teuſchen Lande (About the German Land). The main feature is a highly detailed woodcut city plan of Antwerp, Belgium. The illustration, titled Beſchreibung der Statt Anwerff, depicts the city in an elevated, bird’s-eye perspective, showcasing its extensive fortifications, the docks and harbor on the river (the Scheldt), and the tightly organized network of streets and buildings. The accompanying German text provides a historical and geographical account of Antwerp, one of the most important trading cities of the 16th century. Sebastian Münster was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and professor at the University of Basel. His magnum opus, the Cosmographia (first published 1544), was the first comprehensive, richly illustrated geographical work in the German language. It became one of the most successful and widely reprinted books of the 16th century, documenting the cities, maps, customs, and political status of the world. Artist or Maker: Sebastian Münster Dimensions: Approximately 33 × 20 cm Medium: Woodcut with letterpress text on laid paper Date: Circa 1544–1568 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Sebastian Münster (1488–1552) – View of the City of Antwerp (Beſchreibung der Statt Anwerff) – Woodcut with Letterpress Text (Circa 1544–1568)

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This print is a folio page from a German edition of the monumental geographical treatise, the Cosmographia. The page features two German-language descriptions, with the overarching subject being the southeastern European territories. The central woodcut is a regional map focusing on Transylvania (Siebenbürgen), Wallachia, Bulgaria, and Macedonia, showing the Danube River and the western shore of the Black Sea (Pontus). The map details the geographical and political situation of these lands, which were of strategic importance during the 16th century. The text above the map provides a separate chapter, Cap. lxvj, focusing on the Wallachians and their customs. Sebastian Münster was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and professor at the University of Basel. His major work, the Cosmographia (first published 1544), was one of the most successful and widely reprinted geographical books of the 16th century. It utilized thousands of woodcuts to illustrate the cities, maps, customs, and natural history of the world. Artist or Maker: Sebastian Münster Dimensions: Approximately 33 × 20 cm Medium: Woodcut with letterpress text on laid paper Date: Circa 1544–1568 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Sebastian Münster (1488–1552) – View of Transylvania, Wallachia, and Bulgaria (Von Tranſsiluania, Siebenbürgen) – Woodcut with Letterpress Text (Circa 1544–1568)

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This print is an allegorical emblem from the moralistic works of Jacob Cats, bearing the Latin motto NESCIT HABERE MODUM (It Knows No Bounds or Measure). The circular pictorial section depicts a powerful allegory of destructive greed or insatiable ambition: the figure of a skeleton (Death) is shown riding on the back of a large, crocodile-like creature. This central image is a visual metaphor for the relentless, uncontrolled nature of avarice, which grows continuously until death, represented by the crocodile's reputed characteristic of growing as long as it lives. The text below, divided into MORALE and SACRVM, provides philosophical and sacred interpretations of this cautionary moral lesson. Jacob Cats was a highly celebrated Dutch poet, humorist, jurist, and statesman of the Dutch Golden Age, often affectionately known as "Father Cats." He is most famous for his immensely popular emblem books, such as Silenus Alcibiadis, sive Proteus (1618) and Sinne- en Minne-beelden (1627), which presented moral and religious teachings through simple verses and evocative, often highly imaginative, allegorical illustrations. His work was published in numerous languages (Dutch, Latin, French, English) and was a staple in many Dutch households for centuries. Artist or Maker: Jacob Cats Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 19 cm Medium: Engraving with letterpress text on laid paper Date: Circa 1618–1658 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Jacob Cats (1577–1660) – Emblem: "It Knows No Bounds" (Nescit Habere Modum) – Engraving (Circa 1618–1658)

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This engraving depicts a grand Sanctuary of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Sacrarium D. N. Iesu Christi), presented as a circular, domed classical temple with a Latin inscription above the entrance translating to "Royal Hall of the Magi." The structure is the focus of a large, elaborate procession of figures dressed in various historical or foreign costumes, each labeled with their presumed ethnic or national origin (including Sarmatians, Turks, and Jews). This scene represents an allegorical or actual procession related to the Feast of the Epiphany/Adoration of the Magi, illustrating the universality of Christ's worship. The central inscription refers to the foundation of this religious adornment being gifted in Rome on the Viminal Hill in 1570. Étienne Dupérac was a French architect, painter, and engraver who spent an important part of his career in Rome (Italy), from 1559 to 1578. He is highly regarded for his detailed topographical and architectural views of the city's ancient ruins and contemporary structures, which were often published in major collections such as the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae. His work served as an essential visual record and popular source for Renaissance architectural ideas across Europe. Artist or Maker: Étienne Dupérac Dimensions: Approximately 38 × 44 cm Medium: Engraving Date: 1570 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Étienne Dupérac (c. 1535–1604) – The Sanctuary of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Sacrarium D. N. Iesu Christi) – Engraving (1570)

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This engraving is a highly detailed architectural view of the Town Hall of Vlissingen (Flushing), Netherlands (Zeeland). The view is a precise elevation of the Renaissance-style facade, identified by the title Domus Senatoria Vlissingensis (Senatorial House of Vlissingen). The building is distinguished by its repetitive window bays, tiered structure, arched lower arcade, and ornate gable work, topped by decorative turrets and a central tower featuring a finial figure. This topographical print details the prominent civic architecture of the city and originates from an edition of Guicciardini's comprehensive geographical work. Ludovico Guicciardini was an Italian merchant, diplomat, and historian from Florence who lived and worked in Antwerp in the Spanish Netherlands for decades. He is famous for his comprehensive geographical and historical description of the Low Countries, the Descrittione di tutti i Paesi Bassi (Description of all the Low Countries), first published in 1567. This work was a bestseller of the time, continually revised and reissued with numerous maps and city views throughout the late 16th and 17th centuries, making him a critical figure in introducing the region's geography and culture to a wider European audience. Artist or Maker: Ludovico Guicciardini Dimensions: Approximately 30 × 35 cm Medium: Engraving Date: Circa 1625–1648 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Ludovico Guicciardini (1521–1589) – Town Hall of Vlissingen (Domus Senatoria Vlissingensis) – Engraving (Circa 1625–1648)

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This detailed engraving, titled "Volière de Varron" (Varro's Aviary), presents an idealized reconstruction of the pleasure aviary and associated dining areas built by the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro at his villa in Casinum during the 1st century BC. The print shows a circular, colonnaded bird enclosure (aviarium) in a bird’s-eye perspective, flanked by rectangular pools and smaller columned structures, all set within a naturalistic landscape. This illustration served as a key historical document and originates from the monumental illustrated study, L'Antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures (antiquity explained and represented in figures), documenting the sophisticated recreational architecture of Roman antiquity. Bernard de Montfaucon was a french benedictine monk of the congregation of saint-maur, recognized as a founding figure of modern archaeology and palaeography. A profound scholar, his work L'Antiquité expliquée (published 1719–1724, in 10 volumes) was an unparalleled illustrated catalog of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and other ancient antiquities, including gods, rituals, daily life, and funerals. This comprehensive compilation, featuring over a thousand engraved plates, became an indispensable resource for the study of the classical world throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Artist or Maker: Bernard de Montfaucon Dimensions: Approximately 30 × 20 cm Medium: Engraving Date: Circa 1722 (Published 1719–1724) Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.

Bernard de Montfaucon (1655–1741) – Overhead View of Varro’s Aviary (Volière de Varron) – Engraving (Circa 1722)

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This engraving, titled The Inside of a Hippah, in New Zealand, depicts a panoramic view of a fortified settlement (pā or hippah) on what is Motuara Island in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand. The scene captures the interior grounds of the pā, featuring low-lying dwellings with thatched roofs and a palisade visible at the edges. In the foreground, a group of figures, one holding a taiaha (weapon), are gathered. This view was sketched by the expedition artist during Captain Cook’s brief visit to the region in February 1777 and was published as Plate 10 in the folio atlas accompanying the official account of Cook’s third voyage, A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1784). John Webber was a British-Swiss painter and draftsman who served as the official artist on Captain James Cook’s third and final voyage (1776–1780). His work provided the visual documentation for the expedition, including detailed records of the architectural structures, customs, and geographical features encountered in the Pacific, which were translated into the widely circulated copperplate engravings. Artist or Maker: John Webber Dimensions: Approximately 45 cm × 60&nbsp; cm Medium: Engraving Date: 1784 Condition Report:This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.