This attractive detailed map of the British Isles was originally published by Pierre van der Aa in ‘Le Nouveau Theatre du Monde’, 1713. It is a reduction of Guillaume De L’Isle’s map of 1702. The unusual title cartouche features Neptune being pulled by horses in front of a view of London. This is the rare second state of the map published by Cornelis Mortier and Johannes Covens; a partnership founded in 1721. They were prolific publishers who likely acquired these plates around the time of Van der Aa’ death in 1733. The first issue of the ‘Nouvel Atlas’, according to Koeman, bore no alterations to the plates. In the second, Covens and Mortier added their imprint and the number 8 outside the margin lower right.

Pierre van der Aa (1659-1733) was born in Leiden, the son of a stone cutter or sculptor. By the time he was nine years old he was already apprenticed to a bookseller. By 1682 he was the owner of a bookshop and auction. His output is so large that Koeman was sure that there were works yet to be identified. His printed catalogue of 1729 alludes to the fact that works could be made to order. As with many of his published books, the source of the plates contained within is various. Amongst these publications is arguably the biggest atlas ever published, the 66 volume ‘La Galerie Agreable du Monde’. Provenance: Gebr. Haas 2004; private English collection. Koeman I Aa 8, no. 8 & II pp. 50-1, C&M 13; Shirley ‘Atlases in the British Library’ T.Aa 5a.