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Description

Fine example of Pierre Du Val's map of the Virgin Islanda and the Windward Islands.

The map covers the Lesser Antilles from the Virgin Islands to Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela. The map identifies Virgin Gordo (Virgen gorda).

This is the second state of the map (including the 1664 dating), which was likely published as early as 1659.  Later editions were issued until at least 1677, the latest recorded date on the map.  

In the second state of the map, Du Val abandons the "Sanson" shape for Martinique and reshapes it in more of a "Potato" shape.  

As of 1664, Saint Martin was still a Spanish possession. By the 1677 edition, it becomes French and Dutch.  The Island of Dominica is still not settled and therefore not shown as a colonial possession.

The first edition of the map bears the imprint of Jean Somer Pruthenus, which is removed in later editions, suggesting that the re-engraving work was done by Du Val himself.  While the map deviates significantly from Dutch and English sources, some Dutch terms remain on the map (Egat van Drack in the Virgin Islands, for example).  

Rarity

The map is quite scarce on the market. This is the first example we have offered in 25 years.

Pierre Du Val Biography

Pierre Duval (1618-1683) was a French geographer, cartographer, and publisher who worked in Abbeville and Paris during the seventeenth century. He was born in the former city, in northeast France, before moving to Paris. Duval was the nephew of the famous cartographer Nicolas Sanson, from whom he learned the mapmaker's art and skills. Both men worked at the royal court, having followed the royal request for artists to relocate to Paris. In addition to numerous maps and atlases, Du Val's opus also includes geography texts. He held the title of geographe ordinaire du roi from 1650 and died in 1683, when his wife and daughters took over his business.