Europe – Rigobert Bonne, Atlas Encyclopédique (Paris, 1787–1788)

Europe

Rigobert Bonne (1727–1794)
From Atlas Encyclopédique, contenant la géographie ancienne...
Paris: Hôtel de Thou, 1787–1788
Copperplate Engraving on Laid Paper
Approx. 28cm x 39cm

This fine engraved map of Europe is from Rigobert Bonne and Nicolas Desmarest’s monumental Atlas Encyclopédique, contenant la géographie ancienne, et quelques cartes sur la géographie du moyen âge, la géographie moderne, et les cartes relatives à la géographie physique, published in Paris between 1787 and 1788 by Hôtel de Thou.

Rigobert Bonne (1727–1794), one of the most important French cartographers of the late Enlightenment, served as Royal Hydrographer and Cartographer to the French Navy. His maps are celebrated for their precision, clarity, and restrained elegance—marking a shift away from the decorative flourishes of earlier Baroque mapmaking toward a more scientific and empirical geography.

The Atlas Encyclopédique represents one of the most ambitious mapping projects of the 18th century, integrating ancient, medieval, and modern geography into a single comprehensive visual reference. Bonne’s engraving of Europe here captures a pivotal moment in the continent’s cartographic and political understanding just before the French Revolution, delineating the old kingdoms and maritime boundaries of the late 1700s with exceptional accuracy.

Condition:
Very good to excellent. Crisp impression with visible plate mark, wide margins, and light toning consistent with age. Minor faint offsetting in places, as expected for a fine 18th-century sheet.

Literature:
Bonne, R. & Desmarest, N. Atlas Encyclopédique, Paris: Hôtel de Thou, 1787–1788.

Collector’s Note:
Bonne’s engravings remain among the most sought-after for their clean design and historical importance. Uncoloured impressions like this one—with full margins and original platemark—are increasingly scarce and highly desirable for collectors of Enlightenment-era cartography.