1763 Plan de la Ville et Fauxbourgs de Paris
By: Louis-François Deharme
Date: 1763 (dated) Paris
Dimensions: 60 x 70.5 inches (152.5 x 179 cm)
This is a remarkable full color example of Deharme's first state sectional map of Paris divided into twenty districts. The map is noteworthy for being the first plan of Paris to be drawn to large scale (1/4200) derived from the works and publications of Delagrive and earned Deharme the title of "Surveyor to the King."
Examining the Map
The map centers on the old city of Paris built on Île de la Cité, the island in the river Seine. In the 4th century, it was the site of the fortress of the Roman governor. In 508, the first King of the Franks, Clovis I, established his palace on the island. By the 12th century, it became an important religious center and the home of Notre-Dame cathedral, and the royal chapel of Sainte-Chapelle.
As described in the title and distinguished in the map and a reference key at lower right, Paris was divided into twenty districts. The right portion of this key reference symbols for abbeys, barriers, fountains, divisions of neighborhoods, mailboxes, couriers and coaches, among other details. The map itself is intricately detailed, not only in the manner in which is names every street, large and small, but its presentation of the layout of large buildings, courtyards, parks, and farms, down to individual trees and fountains. It is most reminiscent of Turgot's Plan of Paris (1739) or Nolli's Map of Rome (1748).
Welfare Classes of Paris during the mid-18th Century
By the time of the publication of this map Paris had grown well beyond its humble beginnings but the manner in which it was developed, based on wealth and class, was beginning give rise to social and political tensions of its people. According to Louis-Sébastien Mercier in the Le Tableau de Paris, written in 1783, just six years prior to the French Revolution, There were eight distinct classes in Paris; the princes and great nobles, the Nobles of the Robe, the financiers, the traders and merchants, the artists, the craftsmen, the manual workers, the servants; and the bas people (lower class).
Much of the lowest classes of residents resided in the narrow and crowded streets of the old city of Paris, which the wealthier classes lived in the outskirts and select wealthy neighborhoods. This concentration of the poor, high taxes, and miserable living conditions would prove to be one of the fundamental factors that would lead to the French Revolution, which began with the Estates General of 1789, and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799.
Map State and Present Condition
According to Boutier, this map is known in 10 different states, with this being the rare first state, attributed to Deharme and lacking the addition of a second cartouche in the lower right or the later re-issue imprint of Desnos.
This example is currently housed in a heavy frame. Any serious inquiries should contact us for additional images and options for shipping or removal from its frame.
Condition: The map is in very fine condition with lovely coloring over a sharp print impression.
NOTE: The map is currently framed, which has made it very difficult to properly photograph without reflection. Any potential buyers should inquire about condition, additional images of select areas, and options for shipping or removal from frame.
Inventory #12645
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