Victor Jules Levasseur (1800-1870) was one of last French cartographers to produce ornate maps and became involved in the Cadastral Survey of the city of Paris. He began producing maps around 1838, but his best-known work is the ‘Atlas National’ first published in 1847. This map of South America is from that atlas and highlights the decorative features of his maps with local scenes. The large Spanish entity of Gran Columbia is defined, and Bolivia still retains access to the Pacific Ocean which it lost in the War of the Pacific (1879-84). There were several later editions of the atlas to at least 1856. Provenance: Juan and Peggy Rada Collection. Refer Phillips (1909-) 3003; Tooley Dictionary (1999-2004).