Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703 – 1772)
was a French hydrographer, geographer and member of the intellectual group „Philosophes“. Born in Paris, at the age of 18 years, he was appointed hydrographer to
the French Navy. In 1741 Bellin became the first „Ingenieur de la Marine“ of the „Depot des Cartes et Plants de la Marine“ (French Hydrographical Office“) and was named „Hydrographe Officiel du Roy de France“. During his reign the Depot published a prodigious number of maps and atlases, e.g. the „Atlas Maritime“ (1764) and the „Petit Atlas Maritime“ (1764). Bellin also contributed a number of maps to the „Histoire Generale des Voyages“ of Antoine Francois Prevost d‘Exiles“ (1697 -1763), a French author and novelist (e.g. „Manon Lescaut“), simply known as „l‘Abbe Prevost“. Prevot‘s collection was printed for the first time in 1746 and it continued until 1789, more than 20 years after his death. Many of Bellin‘s maps were copied by other map makers.
Bellin‘s work focussed on function and accuracy, tending to be less decorative than the 17th century cartographic images, thus gaining France the leading role in European cartography in the 18th century.
Map Details
This very rare map was first published in „Le Neptune Francois ou Recueil des Cartes Marines“ in Paris 1751.
„Bellin made maps for many travel accounts but he worked for the most part of his life under the auspices of the French naval authorities. It is therefore not surprising that the shape of Iceland on this map is of the type that was common on many sea charts“ (islandskort.is). As the seal of the Depot de la Marine is still lacking this map is probably an early edition.
The large map is decorated with an ornamental title cartouche in the upper part. There are four compass roses, two of them are placed on the Arctic Circle („Circle Polaire Arctique“), one in the East and one in the West, all with connecting rhumb lines.
The sea-chart gives an excellent overview of the North Atlantic and shows Iceland („Isle D’Islande“), most of Greenland („Groenland“), Baffin Island („Isle James“) and Labrador („appelle par les Francais ‚Nouvelle Bretagne‘“), Jan Mayen („I. de Jean Mayen“), the Bear Island („Beeren Eyland ou Isle des Ours“), the Faroe Islands („Isles de Ferro“), England („Angleterre“), Scotland („Ecosse“) with the islands in the West and in the North, Ireland („Irlande“), Scandinavia, the Baltic region, Pommerania („Pomeranie“), Prussia („Prusse“), the Netherlands („Prov. Unies“) and the northern part of France.
The map is well engraved and detailed but not accurate in parts, for instance Greenland. The coast stretches too far south and the eastern coastline runs wrongly as the author admits: „Toute cette Coste n’est tracee que sur des Conjectures“ (drawn only on speculation). European cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, London, Dublin, St. Petersburg, Stockholm and Oslo are labelled, along with numerous smaller cities but there is also a lot of empty space on the map.
„Isle D’Islande“ is written underneath the island. Most information on Iceland is coastal.
East and west of Iceland mysterious islands are depicted: „Isle Enckhuysen“ and „Isles de Gambormens“.
In the interior of Iceland there are mainly mountain ranges and only few place-names. The bishoprics Skalholt („Scalhot“) and Holar („Hola“) are labelled with church symbols. „Mont Hekla“ is depicted with clouds from an eruption.
This map is very similar to map to No. 134. In both of them the year 1751 is printed in the cartouche but the shape of Iceland is totally different. While this map has surely been published also in 1751 or shortly after, the map 134 was published in 1767. „It shows the influence of the Knoff map. It must then been published considerably later than 1751“ (islandskort.is). On his sea-chart of 1758 (see No. 84) Bellin still used the same shape of Iceland as on this one.